Use the wire cutters to cut the first magnetized needle in short lengths. (Cover the needle with a cloth to keep the pieces from flying.) Can you show by using the compass that each piece is a complete magnet? Hold one end, then the other, of each piece to a compass. Does each piece have both a North Pole and a South Pole?
Magnetism and Animals
The things you have done show that electricity and magnetism are related in many ways. Magnetism is mysterious, and there are still things to discover about it. It is thought that animals and birds are aided in their sense of direction by magnetism. It is commonly known that when a person gets lost in the woods, he tends to go around in circles. Possibly this is caused by the earth's magnetic field.
What Did You Learn?
1. Where are natural magnets obtained?
2. How can artificial magnets be made?
3. What material is needed for a permanent magnet? For a temporary magnet?
4. How can you find out which is the North Pole of an unmarked magnet?
5. How many poles does a magnet have?