An Overview of Class 6 Science Fun With Magnets Worksheets
FAQs on Class 6 Science Fun With Magnets Worksheets
1. What are magnetic and non-magnetic materials? From an exam perspective, what are two important examples of each?
Materials that get attracted towards a magnet are called magnetic materials, while those that are not attracted are called non-magnetic materials. For your Class 6 exams, it's important to remember these examples:
- Magnetic Materials: Iron, Nickel, Cobalt.
- Non-magnetic Materials: Plastic, Wood, Rubber, Copper.
2. A question often asked for 3 marks is to describe how to make a magnet. How can you make your own magnet using the single-touch method?
To make your own magnet, you can use the single-touch method as per the NCERT syllabus. Follow these steps:
- Take a rectangular piece of iron, like a needle or a nail, and place it on a table.
- Take a strong bar magnet and place one of its poles (e.g., the North pole) near one edge of the iron bar.
- Without lifting the bar magnet, drag it along the length of the iron bar to the other end.
- Once you reach the end, lift the magnet and bring the same pole back to the starting point.
- Repeat this process about 30-40 times. The iron bar will acquire magnetic properties and become a temporary magnet.
3. For 5 marks, you might be asked to demonstrate a key property of magnets. How can you show that a freely suspended magnet always points in the North-South direction?
This is a very important experiment-based question. To demonstrate the directive property of a magnet, follow these steps:
- Take a bar magnet and identify its North and South poles.
- Tie a thread to the middle of the bar magnet and suspend it from a wooden stand so that it can rotate freely.
- Allow the magnet to come to rest. You will observe that it always aligns itself in a particular direction.
- Mark the direction on the ground. You will find it aligns with the geographic North-South direction of the Earth. The end of the magnet pointing towards the North is its North pole, and the one pointing South is its South pole. This property is used in magnetic compasses for navigation.
4. Why is repulsion considered the surest test for magnetism?
This is a critical concept-based question. Repulsion is the surest test for magnetism because a magnet can attract another magnet (with an unlike pole) as well as a simple magnetic material (like an iron clip). However, a magnet can only repel another magnet (with a like pole). An unmagnetized piece of iron will never be repelled. Therefore, if you observe repulsion between two objects, you can be certain that both are magnets.
5. What would happen if you cut a bar magnet in half? Would you get separate North and South poles?
No, you would not get separate poles. This is a common higher-order thinking question. When a bar magnet is cut in half, each piece becomes a complete smaller magnet with its own North and South pole. Magnetic poles always exist in pairs. No matter how many times you cut a magnet, you will never be able to isolate a single North pole or a single South pole.
6. What are the poles of a magnet? Where are they located on a bar magnet?
The two ends of a magnet where the magnetic force is the strongest are called its poles. Every magnet has two poles: a North pole (N) and a South pole (S). In a typical bar magnet, the poles are located at the very ends of the bar. The magnetic strength is concentrated at these ends and is weakest in the middle.
7. To score well, you must know how magnets can lose their properties. List three ways a magnet can be demagnetised.
Magnets can lose their properties, a process called demagnetisation, if they are not handled properly. Three important ways this can happen are:
- Heating: Heating a magnet to a high temperature can destroy its magnetic properties.
- Hammering: Hitting a magnet repeatedly with a hammer can weaken its magnetism.
- Dropping: Dropping a magnet from a height can also cause it to lose its magnetic strength.
8. Imagine you are given two identical-looking iron bars. One is a magnet, and the other is just a plain iron bar. How can you identify which one is the magnet without any other equipment?
This is an application-based question that tests your understanding of magnetic properties. To identify the magnet, you would use the principle that magnetic force is strongest at the poles and weakest at the centre. Bring one end (a pole) of the first bar near the centre of the second bar. If it attracts, the first bar is the magnet. If there is no attraction, repeat the process by bringing an end of the second bar to the centre of the first. The bar that attracts the centre of the other is the magnet, because a plain iron bar will be attracted to the magnet's pole, but the magnet's pole will not be attracted to the non-magnetic centre of the plain iron bar.
