Understanding Magnetism

What causes magnetism?

• Gravitational pull between objects

• The motion of electric charges

• Friction between two surfaces

• Chemical reactions between elements

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What are electrons?

• The core of an atom

• Microscopic magnets

• Particles that carry electric charges

• Units of magnetic force

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Why are materials like cloth or paper weakly magnetic?

• Because equal numbers of electrons spin in opposite directions

• Because they do not contain iron

• Because they are not solid

• Because they contain water

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What makes the atoms in substances like iron strongly magnetic?

• They contain more electrons

• They are exposed to more sunlight

• They are heavier than other substances

• Most of the electrons spin in the same direction

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What is a magnetic field?

• A type of electric current

• A storage area for magnets

• A piece of iron that has been magnetized

• A region where magnetic force is applied

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What happens when you rub a piece of iron along a magnet?

• The north-seeking poles of the atoms in the iron line up

• It becomes demagnetized

• It generates electricity

• It loses its electric charge

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How can some substances be magnetized?

• By exposing them to sunlight

• By running an electric current through a coil of wire

• By applying pressure

• By cooling them to extreme temperatures

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What is the main theory for Earth's magnetism?

• Solar wind interactions

• Movement of molten metal in Earth's outer core

• Gravitational pull from the moon

• Rotation of the Earth on its axis

What do the geomagnetic poles record?

• The amount of solar wind deflected by Earth

• The shifting locations due to tectonic plate movement

• The level of Earth's gravitational pull

• The temperature of Earth's core

What natural phenomenon is caused by particles from the solar wind hitting atoms of gas in the upper atmosphere?

• Earthquakes

• Volcanic eruptions

• Auroras

• Tsunamis