10 Amazing Facts About Magnets

1. Cut the magnet in half to get two small magnets, each with its own North Pole and South Pole.

2. The north pole of the magnet points to the north pole of the earth. This is because both are huge magnets and are aligned with each other. This is how the compass works.

3. To make a new magnet, take what you already have and rub it with a new piece of metal. This process is called magnetization, turning a piece of metal into a magnet.

4. Electromagnets are not always magnetic. When electricity is passed through a nail wrapped in copper wire, it turns into a magnet. If you stop the flow of electricity, you will only have nails and wires.

5. A magnetic field is an invisible area that attracts metal and other magnets around all magnets. So you can push the two magnets slowly together and they will jump to each other as they enter the magnetic field.

6. The magnetic field created by the Earth is so large and strong that it spreads into the universe. The earth is made of materials like metal and iron, so it looks like a small magnet at home.

7. Refrigerator magnets are used around the world in family homes and the United States, and are used on average 20 times a day.

8. Magnet power is measured by Tesla [name of a scientist specializing in electricity]. The Earth is a huge giant magnet, but about 1000 times weaker than a small magnet at home.

9. Magnetism was discovered and used in ancient Greece and China over 800 years ago. They even had their own compass.

10. Iron is a metal that is ideal for use as a magnet because it is naturally magnetic. Others are nickel and cobalt, but if you have a magnet at home, it's likely made of iron or ferrite, which is a metal made of many different elements.