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Video

Discovery of magnets

Long ago, a shepherd named Magnes (legend) found his iron-tipped staff stuck to a black rock in Asia Minor. That rock was magnetite (Fe₃O₄), a natural magnet — also called lodestone.

Today we can also MAKE magnets by aligning iron/steel domains.

Common magnet shapes: bar, horseshoe, cylindrical, ring, and electromagnet.

Example
A fridge magnet holds your grocery list. A compass needle is a tiny magnet. A scrapyard crane uses electromagnets to lift iron.
💡 Tip:Natural magnets exist in rocks; artificial (man-made) magnets are stronger and shaped for use.
Prefer a video? Open YouTube search for “magnets introduction class 6

🎯 Try it!

5 questions to check what you just read.

0 / 5
  1. Q1.Natural magnet found in rocks is called:
  2. Q2.Most magnets we use today are:
  3. Q3.A typical fridge door uses:
  4. Q4.Compass needle is:
  5. Q5.Shape of a horseshoe magnet is: