Topic: magnetism

Magnetic materials

A magnetic material is a special kind of metal that can pull certain objects toward it, even without touching them! Most magnetic materials contain iron, nickel, or cobalt. In these materials, some electrons have their spins naturally line up in the same direction creating a magnetic field...…

in macroscopic concepts

Magnetic poles

In Book 2, Millie feels confused when the electrons mention their North and South poles. She’s surprised to learn there are two types of poles: geographic poles and magnetic poles and they’re not the same thing! Let’s use Earth as an example to understand the difference. 🌍 Geographic...…

in macroscopic concepts

Magnetism

A magnet is a special metal that has the invisible power to "pull" certain objects toward it without even touching them. This pulling power, called the magnetic attraction force, works mostly on specific metals like iron, nails, and paper clips, as well as on other magnets. But not all metals a...…

in macroscopic concepts

Magnetoreception in animals

In Book 2, Millie becomes fascinated by the idea that birds might be magnetic! She even imagines of catching them with a magnet. But soon, she learns the truth: migrating birds aren't magnetic, but they can sense the Earth's invisible magnetic field. It's like they have a built-in compass to hel...…

in macroscopic concepts

Electron's spin - Part 2

In the article Electron's spin - Part 1, we talked about how scientists first thought that electrons might be like tiny spinning balls and that they intrinsic “up” or “down” property was a sort of angular momentum. But this idea didn’t last long because: electrons don’t spin like regular obje...…

in quantum concepts

Are there East-West magnets instead of North-South?

In the Magnetic poles' article we learnt that magnets have two special ends called poles, and we call them the North pole and the South pole. These names come from how magnets behave when you let them move freely, like in a compass. A long time ago, people discovered that one end of a fr...…

in questions

Are there East-West magnets instead of North-South?

Does a magnet work under water?

Water does not block or weaken a magnetic field, so the magnet will attract objects as usual underwater. That's why Magnet fishing is possible. Materials like wood, plastic, glass, and rubber let the magnetic field pass through them without weakening it. All these materials do not interact mu...…

in questions

Why some materials don't stick to a magnet?

Some materials don't stick to a magnet because they aren't magnetic. The article Magnetic materials explains the difference between magnetic and non-magnetic materials. Most magnetic materials contain iron, nickel, or cobalt. In these materials, some electrons have their spins naturally alig...…

in questions