Hi, I am Doyun. Yesterday, I found a small magnet in my new science kit. I wanted to know what things in my room it would stick to, so I decided to do an experiment.
First, I touched the magnet to lots of things. It quickly picked up paper clips and a small nail. But it did not stick to my eraser, my wooden pencil, or a paper cup. My teacher told me that magnets attract things made of iron, but not wood or paper.
Next, I looked closely at my magnet. One end had the letter N, and the other end had the letter S. These two ends are called poles, and the magnetic force is strongest there. When I held a paper clip near the middle, it hardly moved at all.
Then I tried my magnet with my friend Yuna's magnet. When I put the N pole of my magnet near the N pole of hers, they pushed each other away. Same poles repel. But when I turned my magnet around, the two magnets pulled together with a click. Different poles attract.
Finally, Yuna showed me a compass. Its needle is a tiny magnet, so one end always points north. This works because the Earth acts like a giant magnet. For a long time, sailors have used a compass to find their way across the sea.
We cannot see magnetic force, but it is all around us. Now I want to look for more magnets in my home, like the ones on our fridge door.