This MCQ module is based on: Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets
Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets
4.4 Attraction and Repulsion between Magnets
In Part 1 we learnt that every magnet has two poles — N and S. But what happens when two magnets meet? Do they always stick together? Let's see!
You need: Two bar magnets (let's call them A and B), each with N and S ends clearly marked. A few round pencils.
- Lay the round pencils side by side on the table — magnet A will slide on these (like tiny rollers) to reduce friction.
- Place magnet A on the pencils.
- Bring the N pole of magnet B close to the N pole of A. Do not touch.
- Now turn magnet B around and bring its S pole close to the N pole of A.
- Note what happens each time.
S near N → magnet A rolls towards B — it is being pulled (attracted).
Try S near S: pushes away. Try N near S: pulls together. A clear pattern appears!
- Like poles repel each other — N repels N; S repels S.
- Unlike poles attract each other — N attracts S; S attracts N.
Where is the Pull Strongest? L3
Ashwin takes a bar magnet and a small heap of steel C-clips (or paper pins). He touches different parts of the magnet — one end, half-way, the middle — to the heap and counts how many clips cling each time.
| Position on magnet | Number of clips attracted |
|---|---|
| North-pole end | Many (about 20) |
| Between N-pole and middle | Fewer (about 8) |
| Exact middle | Almost none (0–1) |
| Between middle and S-pole | Fewer (about 8) |
| South-pole end | Many (about 20) |
Interactive: Magnet Interaction Simulator L4 Analyse
Press the buttons to flip a magnet's direction and see how the two magnets interact!
4.5 Making Magnets
Most magnets we use today are not lodestones from mountains — they are made in factories. But you can make a small magnet at home using only a steel needle and an ordinary magnet. The trick is called the single-touch method.
You need: A steel sewing needle (or an iron nail), a bar magnet, a few tiny pins.
- Place the steel needle flat on a table.
- Take one pole of the bar magnet (say, the N pole) and touch it to one end of the needle.
- Slide the magnet along the needle to the other end — in one direction only (do NOT rub back and forth!).
- Lift the magnet high in the air, bring it back to the start, and stroke again.
- Repeat 30–40 times — always the same pole, always the same direction.
- Now touch the needle to the heap of pins. What do you see?
Many Shapes of Magnets
Magnets are made in many useful shapes for different jobs.
Competency-Based Questions
Q1. The S pole of a magnet is brought near the N pole of another magnet. What will happen? L1
Q2. Ashwin notices that when he brings bar X near bar Y, they are pulled strongly together. When he brings X near Z (a known magnet), they also attract. What can he say for sure? L4
Q3. While making a magnet, why should we always stroke in the same direction and never back and forth? L3
Q4. Fill in the blank: In the law of magnetic poles, like poles ___ and unlike poles ___. L1
Q5. Ashwin touches a heap of C-clips with the middle of his bar magnet and then with its end. Where will MORE clips stick, and why? L3
Assertion – Reason
Assertion (A): Two N poles brought close to each other repel.
Reason (R): Like poles of magnets always repel each other.
Assertion (A): A steel needle becomes a magnet when stroked repeatedly with one pole of a bar magnet in a single direction.
Reason (R): Stroking in one direction lines up the tiny magnetic particles of the needle in the same direction.
Assertion (A): Two bars attract each other — therefore both must be magnets.
Reason (R): Only magnets can attract iron bars.
Frequently Asked Questions — Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets
What does the topic 'Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets' cover in Class 6 Science?
The topic 'Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets' is part of NCERT Class 6 Science Chapter 4 — Exploring Magnets. It covers the key ideas of attraction, repulsion, like poles, unlike poles, making a magnet, stroking method, induction, explained through everyday examples, labelled diagrams and hands-on activities from the NCERT Curiosity textbook. Class 6 students learn simple definitions, see why each idea matters in daily life, and try short experiments and observations. The lesson uses easy language, colourful pictures and small questions so that young learners build a strong base for higher classes and for competency-based questions in CBSE school tests.
Why is 'Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets' important for Class 6 NCERT Science?
'Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets' is important because it builds the first ideas of science that Class 6 students will use again in Class 7, 8 and beyond. NCERT Chapter 4 — Exploring Magnets — introduces attraction and connects it to things children already see at home, at school and in nature. Learning this topic helps students ask better questions, understand simple news about science, and score well in CBSE tests that use competency-based questions. The chapter also supports NEP 2020 by encouraging curiosity, observation and learning by doing rather than only reading and memorising.
What are the key ideas students should remember from Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets?
The key ideas in 'Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets' for Class 6 Science are: attraction, repulsion, like poles, unlike poles, making a magnet, stroking method, induction. Students should be able to say each term in their own words, give one or two easy examples from daily life, and draw a small labelled diagram where needed. A good way to revise is to make flashcards, write a short note in the science notebook, and solve the NCERT in-text and exercise questions of Chapter 4. Linking every idea to something seen at home or school — in the kitchen, garden, playground or sky — makes these ideas easy to remember for unit tests and the annual CBSE examination.
How is Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets taught using activities in NCERT Curiosity Class 6?
NCERT Curiosity Class 6 Science teaches 'Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets' through an inquiry-based approach using Predict–Observe–Explain activities. Students first make a guess, then try a small experiment with safe, easily available materials, and finally explain what happened and why. This matches the NEP 2020 focus on learning by doing. For Chapter 4 — Exploring Magnets — the textbook has hands-on tasks, labelled pictures and thinking questions built for Bloom's Taxonomy Levels 1 to 6. Teachers use these activities, along with competency-based questions (CBQs) and assertion–reason items, to check real understanding instead of only rote learning.
What real-life examples of attraction can Class 6 students see at home?
Class 6 students can see attraction at home in many simple ways linked to 'Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets'. Kitchens, school bags, playgrounds, the garden and the night sky are full of examples that match NCERT Chapter 4 — Exploring Magnets. For example, students can look at food labels, watch changes while cooking, try safe activities with water, magnets or shadows, and observe the Sun, Moon and weather each day. Keeping a small science diary — with the date, what was observed and a quick drawing — turns daily life into a mini science lab. These real-life links make concepts easy to remember and help in answering competency-based questions in CBSE Class 6 Science.
How does 'Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets' connect to other chapters of Class 6 Science?
'Attraction, Repulsion and Making Magnets' connects to many other chapters in NCERT Class 6 Science Curiosity. The ideas of attraction come back when students study related topics like diversity in the living world, food, magnets, measurement, materials, temperature, water, separation, habitats, natural resources and the solar system. For example, what students learn here helps them build mental pictures for later chapters and for Class 7 and Class 8 Science. Teachers often ask cross-chapter questions in CBSE exams to check if students can use what they learned in Chapter 4 — Exploring Magnets — in new situations. This linked approach matches the NEP 2020 and NCF 2023 focus on holistic, competency-based learning.