Key learning points

1. All magnets have a north–seeking pole and a south–seeking pole.
2. Unlike magnetic poles attract each other, and similar magnetic poles repel each other.
3. Magnetic materials are attracted to both north–seeking and south–seeking magnetic poles.
4. Just three metal elements (iron, cobalt and nickel) are magnetic; other metal and non–metal elements are not magnetic.
5. A north–seeking pole will point towards the North Pole because Earth has a magnetic field.

Keywords

• North–seeking magnetic pole - the end of a magnet that points to the north

• South–seeking magnetic pole - the end of a magnet that points to the south

• Attract - a force that makes things move together

• Magnetic field - an area where a magnetic pole will align in a particular direction

• Repel - a force that makes things move apart

Common misconception