Magnetism: Complete Questions, Answers and Activities
Learn magnetic poles, attraction and repulsion, magnetic induction, electromagnets, keepers, Earth's magnetic field and important experiments through clear answers and interactive practice.
Magnetism in One Minute
These six facts form the foundation of the entire chapter.
What is a magnet?
A magnet is an object that attracts magnetic materials such as iron and has two poles.
North and South
Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole. Magnetic poles always occur in pairs.
Attract or repel?
Like poles repel each other, while unlike poles attract each other.
Strongest at the ends
The attractive effect of a bar magnet is greatest near its two ends, called its poles.
North-south alignment
A freely suspended magnet settles approximately along the geographic north-south direction.
Magnetism by current
A current-carrying coil wound around a soft iron core produces a strong temporary magnet.
Interactive Pole Simulator
Choose the poles facing each other and observe what happens.
Test the magnetic rule
Exercise 6: Objective Type Questions
Open each question to check the answer and reason.
Question 1(a): If we suspend a magnet freely, in which direction will it settle?
- East-west direction
- North-south direction
- North-east direction
- East-south direction
Answer: North-south direction.
Reason: A freely suspended magnet aligns with Earth's magnetic field and therefore settles approximately in the north-south direction.
Question 1(b): Making a magnetic substance a magnet by bringing it close to another magnet without touching it is called what?
- Magnetic induction method
- Single-touch method
- Double-touch method
- Electrical method
Answer: Magnetic induction method.
Reason: A magnetic material placed near a magnet can temporarily acquire magnetic properties without direct contact. This process is magnetic induction.
Question 1(c): Which is an example of a natural magnet?
- Iron
- Steel
- Lodestone
- None of the above
Answer: Lodestone.
Reason: Lodestone is a naturally magnetised form of the mineral magnetite.
Question 1(d): Which artificial magnetic device is used to detect direction?
- U-shaped magnet
- Horseshoe magnet
- Electromagnet
- Magnetic compass
Answer: Magnetic compass.
Reason: The compass needle is a small magnet that aligns approximately along the geographic north-south direction.
Question 1(e): A ______ is used to find geographic directions because its needle rests in the north-south direction.
- Magnetic compass
- Bar magnet
- U-shaped magnet
- None of these
Answer: Magnetic compass.
Question 1(f): The attractive property of a magnet is maximum at its ______.
- Centre
- North pole
- South pole
- Both the north and south poles
Answer: Both the north and south poles.
Reason: The two ends of a magnet, where attraction is strongest, are called its magnetic poles.
Question 2: Fill in the blanks.
- Temporary magnets are usually made of soft iron.
- Rough handling destroys the magnetic properties of a magnet.
- Like poles repel each other.
- A freely suspended magnet points in the north-south direction.
- In a magnet, the ends or poles have the maximum attractive property.
- A magnet has two poles.
Question 3: Write true or false for each statement.
- False. Artificial magnets can be made stronger than natural magnets.
- True. Magnetic poles always occur in pairs and cannot be isolated by cutting an ordinary magnet.
- True. A magnet attracts magnetic substances such as iron, nickel, cobalt and many of their alloys.
- False. Strong heating can reduce or destroy a magnet's magnetism.
- False. Permanent magnets resist demagnetisation better than temporary magnets.
- True. Magnetic poles occur in pairs.
- False. The electrical method can make stronger and more uniform magnets than simple stroking.
- False. Magnetic keepers are made of soft iron, not wood.
- True. Copper is non-magnetic in ordinary school experiments and cannot be magnetised like iron or steel.
Question 4: Match the following columns.
| Column A | Correct match |
|---|---|
| Steel | Permanent magnet |
| Soft iron | Temporary magnet |
| Used in an electric bell | Electromagnet |
| Magnetic keepers | Used to store magnets safely |
Exercise 6: Short Answer Type
Question 1: What is a magnet?
A magnet is an object that attracts magnetic materials such as iron and has two poles called the north pole and the south pole.
Question 2: What are magnetic and non-magnetic substances? Give two examples of each.
Magnetic substances: Materials attracted by a magnet. Examples: iron and steel.
Non-magnetic substances: Materials not attracted by a magnet. Examples: wood and plastic.
Question 3: What are natural and artificial magnets?
Natural magnets: Magnets found in nature, such as lodestone.
Artificial magnets: Man-made magnets produced by magnetising materials such as iron or steel. They can be made in different shapes and strengths.
Question 4: How is an artificial magnet prepared from a natural magnet?
An iron or steel bar can be magnetised by the single-touch method:
- Place the bar on a table.
- Stroke one pole of a natural magnet from one end of the bar to the other in the same direction.
- Lift the magnet after every stroke and bring it back to the starting end without rubbing backwards.
- Repeat the process about 20 to 30 times.
- Test the bar by bringing iron pins near its ends.
Question 5: State two ways of magnetising an iron piece.
Any two suitable methods are:
- Magnetic induction method.
- Single-touch or double-touch method.
- Electrical method using a current-carrying coil.
Question 6: How can the magnetic properties of a magnet be destroyed?
A magnet may be demagnetised by:
- Rough handling.
- Repeated hammering.
- Repeatedly dropping it on a hard surface.
- Heating it strongly.
- Placing it in a coil carrying alternating current and gradually removing it from the coil.
Question 7: Why does a freely suspended magnet rest in the north-south direction?
Earth behaves like a giant magnet. A freely suspended magnet experiences a turning effect due to Earth's magnetic field and aligns approximately in the north-south direction.
Question 8: Why are artificial magnets preferred over natural magnets?
- They can be made much stronger.
- Their strength can be selected for a particular use.
- They can be manufactured in many shapes, such as bar, horseshoe, ring and cylindrical magnets.
- They can be produced in large numbers.
- They are usually more convenient and reliable for machines and devices.
Question 9: State four important properties of a bar magnet.
- It attracts magnetic materials such as iron, nickel and cobalt.
- It has two poles, north and south, near its ends.
- Like poles repel and unlike poles attract.
- When suspended freely, it settles approximately in the north-south direction.
Question 10: How are magnets stored safely? What is the role of keepers?
Bar magnets are commonly stored in pairs with unlike poles on the same side. Soft iron keepers are placed across both ends, and a wooden spacer may be kept between the bars. A horseshoe magnet is stored with a soft iron keeper across its two poles.
Keepers provide an easy closed path for magnetic field lines and reduce the loss of magnetism during storage.
Question 11: State two ways of increasing the strength of an electromagnet.
- Increase the current through the coil, within a safe limit.
- Increase the number of turns of insulated wire around the core.
Using a suitable soft iron core also makes the electromagnet stronger.
Question 12: State three important uses of magnets.
- Permanent magnets are used in devices such as speakers and electrical measuring instruments.
- Magnets and electromagnets are used in electric motors, generators, relays and electric bells.
- A magnetic compass is used to find direction.
Question 13: In which direction does a suspended bar magnet come to rest? Give a reason.
It comes to rest approximately in the north-south direction because it aligns with Earth's magnetic field. The end pointing towards geographic north is called the north-seeking pole.
Question 14: State three differences between temporary and permanent magnets.
| Temporary magnet | Permanent magnet |
|---|---|
| Usually made of soft iron. | Usually made of steel or a suitable magnetic alloy. |
| Gets magnetised and demagnetised easily. | Is comparatively difficult to magnetise and demagnetise. |
| Loses most of its magnetism when the magnetising cause is removed. | Retains magnetism for a long time. |
Question 15: State three ways of demagnetising a magnet.
- Heat the magnet strongly.
- Hammer or drop it repeatedly.
- Place it in a coil carrying alternating current and gradually withdraw it.
Question 16: Suggest one way to recognise Earth's magnetic field.
Suspend a bar magnet freely using a thread. It repeatedly settles in nearly the same north-south direction. This shows the turning effect of Earth's magnetic field.
Question 17: Name the material used for a temporary magnet and a permanent magnet.
Temporary magnet: Soft iron.
Permanent magnet: Steel or another hard magnetic material.
Question 18: What are magnetic keepers? Name their material.
Magnetic keepers are pieces placed across the poles of a magnet during storage to help preserve its magnetism. They are made of soft iron.
Question 19: How are the north and south poles of a magnet located?
- Suspend the magnet freely with a thread away from other magnets and iron objects.
- Allow it to come to rest.
- The end pointing towards geographic north is the north pole.
- The opposite end is the south pole.
Exercise 6: Long Answer Type
Question 1: Draw artificial magnets of four different shapes.
Four common shapes are shown below.
Question 2: Describe an experiment showing that magnetic attraction is maximum at the poles.
- Spread small iron nails or iron filings on a sheet of paper.
- Bring a bar magnet close to them or roll the magnet gently over them.
- Observe where most pieces collect.
Most iron pieces cling near the two ends of the magnet, while very few collect near the middle. Therefore, the attractive property is maximum at the poles.
The ends attract more iron filings than the centre.
Question 3: Explain the attractive property of a magnet with an experiment.
The attractive property is the ability of a magnet to pull magnetic materials towards itself.
- Place iron nails or pins on a table.
- Bring a bar magnet near them without touching them first.
- The nails move towards the magnet and stick to it, especially near its ends.
This proves that a magnet attracts magnetic materials and that the attraction is strongest near its poles.
Question 4: Describe a method by which an iron bar can be made a magnet.
Double-touch method:
- Place the iron or steel bar horizontally.
- Take two bar magnets and place unlike poles together at the centre of the bar, usually with a small wooden or cork separator.
- Move the two magnets simultaneously from the centre towards the two opposite ends.
- Lift the magnets at the ends and return them to the centre without rubbing backwards.
- Repeat the same process many times in the same manner.
- Test the bar with iron pins or a compass. The exact pole at each end depends on which pole was stroked towards that end.
Question 5: Define the magnetic field of a magnet. How can it be recognised experimentally?
The region around a magnet in which its magnetic effect can be detected is called its magnetic field.
- Place a bar magnet below a stiff sheet of paper.
- Sprinkle iron filings uniformly on the sheet.
- Tap the sheet gently.
- The filings arrange themselves in curved patterns around the magnet.
The pattern represents the magnetic field. Outside the magnet, field lines are conventionally shown from the north pole to the south pole. The field is stronger where the lines are closer together, especially near the poles.
Question 6: How can an iron bar be made into an electromagnet? Explain its polarities.
- Wind many turns of insulated copper wire around a soft iron bar.
- Connect the wire ends to a cell or battery through a switch.
- Close the switch so that current flows through the coil.
- The soft iron bar becomes an electromagnet and attracts iron objects.
- Open the switch to stop the current. Most of the magnetism disappears.
Polarity rule: When viewed from one end of the coil, an anticlockwise current makes that end a north pole, while a clockwise current makes it a south pole. Reversing the current reverses the poles.
Insulated copper-wire coil wound around a soft iron core.
Question 7: A long bar magnet is broken into four pieces. Show the polarities of each piece.
Magnetic poles always occur in pairs. Therefore, every broken piece becomes a smaller complete magnet with its own north and south poles.
Question 8: What is magnetic induction? Explain it with an experiment.
Magnetic induction is the process by which a magnetic material acquires magnetism when placed in the magnetic field of a magnet, without touching it.
- Suspend a soft iron nail vertically and place iron pins below its lower end.
- Without a magnet nearby, the nail does not attract the pins.
- Bring the north pole of a bar magnet close to the nail's head.
- The near end of the nail acquires south polarity and the far end acquires north polarity.
- The nail now attracts the pins.
- Remove the bar magnet. The soft iron nail loses most of its induced magnetism, and the pins fall.
Question 9: Using an iron nail, a torch cell and insulated copper wire, make an electromagnet.
- Wind the insulated copper wire closely around the iron nail, leaving free wire at both ends.
- Connect the free ends to the two terminals of the torch cell.
- Current through the coil magnetises the nail temporarily.
- Bring paper clips or iron pins near the nail. They are attracted.
- Disconnect the cell after the experiment to prevent heating and unnecessary battery drain.
Question 10: Describe an experiment showing that like poles repel and unlike poles attract.
- Suspend a bar magnet horizontally using a thread and allow it to come to rest.
- Bring the north pole of a second magnet near the north pole of the suspended magnet without touching it.
- The suspended magnet moves away. This shows that like poles repel.
- Now bring the south pole of the second magnet near the north pole of the suspended magnet.
- The suspended magnet moves towards it. This shows that unlike poles attract.
Exercise 6: Think and Answer
Question 1: For the eight given pairs of magnets, state whether they attract or repel.
- Like poles are adjacent, so they repel.
- Opposite poles are adjacent, so they attract.
- Opposite poles face each other, so they attract.
- Like poles face each other, so they repel.
- Like poles are near each other, so they repel.
- Like poles face each other, so they repel.
- Opposite poles face each other, so they attract.
- Opposite poles face each other, so they attract.
Memory rule: Same poles repel; different poles attract.
Interactive Magnetism Quiz
Choose one answer for each question. Your score updates automatically.
1. Which material is normally used for the core of a temporary electromagnet?
2. What happens when two north poles are brought close?
3. Where is a bar magnet's attraction strongest?
4. Which method magnetises an object without touching it?
5. Which statement is correct about a broken bar magnet?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a freely suspended magnet point north-south?
It aligns with Earth's magnetic field, so its north-seeking end points approximately towards geographic north.
What is the difference between a temporary and a permanent magnet?
A temporary magnet is usually made of soft iron and loses most of its magnetism quickly. A permanent magnet is made of steel or another hard magnetic material and retains magnetism for a long time.
What is magnetic induction?
Magnetic induction is the temporary magnetisation of a magnetic material placed near a magnet without touching it.
How can the strength of an electromagnet be increased?
Increase the number of turns in the coil, increase the current within a safe limit, and use a suitable soft iron core.
Why are soft iron keepers used while storing magnets?
They provide an easy closed path for magnetic field lines and help reduce the gradual loss of magnetism.
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