TOPIC 14 OF 46

Exploring Magnets

🎓 Class 6 Science CBSE Theory Ch 4 — Exploring Magnets ⏱ ~8 min
🌐 Language: [gtranslate]

This MCQ module is based on: Exploring Magnets

[myaischool_lt_science_assessment grade_level="class_6" science_domain="physics" difficulty="basic"]

Chapter Summary — What We Learnt

Magnetic materials
Iron, nickel, cobalt and their alloys (like steel) are pulled by a magnet.
Non-magnetic materials
Wood, plastic, rubber, paper, glass, aluminium, copper, gold and silver are NOT attracted.
Poles of a magnet
Every magnet has two poles — North (N) and South (S). The pull is strongest here.
Poles come in pairs
If broken, each piece becomes a new magnet with both N and S poles.
Earth is a magnet
A freely suspended magnet settles in the North-South direction.
Law of poles
Like poles repel. Unlike poles attract.
Magnetic compass
A tiny magnetic needle on a pivot that shows direction.
Making magnets
Stroke a steel needle with one pole of a magnet in one direction, 30–40 times.
Care of magnets
Avoid heat, hammering, drops. Store with opposite poles facing + iron keepers.

Keywords

MagnetObject that pulls iron, nickel, cobalt.
Magnetic materialAttracted by a magnet.
Non-magnetic materialNot attracted by a magnet.
PoleRegion of strongest pull on a magnet.
North pole (N)End of a free magnet that points north.
South pole (S)End that points south.
AttractionPull between unlike poles.
RepulsionPush between like poles.
CompassTiny magnet on a pivot to find direction.
LodestoneNatural magnet (magnetite, Fe₃O₄).
Bar magnetRectangular magnet used in experiments.
Horseshoe magnetU-shaped magnet, very strong.
Iron filingsTiny iron bits used to see magnetic pull.
DemagnetiseTo lose magnetism (by heat, hammering…)
MRIMedical scan using a strong magnet.
ElectromagnetMagnet made by electric current.

NCERT Exercises — With Solutions

Q 1Fill in the blanks:

  • (a) N–N brought close → ____
  • (b) N–____ brought close → attraction
  • (c) S–N brought close → ____
  • (d) ____–S brought close → repulsion
(a) Repulsion (like poles repel).
(b) N–S → attraction.
(c) S–N → Attraction (unlike poles attract).
(d) S–S → repulsion (like poles repel).

Q 2Aiharv did an experiment with a bar magnet and a heap of iron C-clips. He placed the magnet at different positions and counted the clips attracted. At which position were the most pins attracted? Give a reason.

The maximum clips were attracted when the magnet touched the heap with its ends (poles). The pulling power of a magnet is concentrated at its two poles — the North pole and South pole. At the middle of the magnet, the pull is almost zero, so very few or no clips stick there.

Q 3Reshma bought three identical-looking metal bars. Two are magnets and one is an ordinary iron bar. How can she identify them WITHOUT using any other material (no compass, no thread, no filings)?

She should test the bars against each other for repulsion:
  1. Bring an end of bar A near an end of bar B. If they repel when tried in any orientation, both A and B are magnets → the third bar (C) is the ordinary iron.
  2. If A and B only attract (never repel), flip one of them and try again. A pair of magnets will repel when like poles face each other.
  3. Key idea: Only two magnets can repel each other. Ordinary iron always attracts magnets but NEVER repels them.
The bar that never shows repulsion with either of the other two is the plain iron bar.

Q 4You are given a bar magnet whose poles are NOT marked. How will you find out which end is the North pole?

Method (freely-suspended magnet):
  1. Tie a thread to the middle of the bar magnet so it balances horizontally.
  2. Hang the thread from a stand, far from any iron objects.
  3. Let the magnet swing freely and come to rest.
  4. The end that points towards the geographic north is the North Pole; the other end is the South Pole.
(Alternative: use a compass — the end of the bar magnet that attracts the South end of the compass needle, or repels the North end, is the North pole.)

Q 5Name any three applications of magnets in daily life.

(i) Refrigerator door seal — a rubber strip with magnets keeps the door air-tight.
(ii) Loudspeakers and earphones — magnets with a coil produce sound.
(iii) Magnetic compass — used by sailors, pilots and hikers to find direction.
(Others: MRI scanners, fridge magnets, pencil-box clasps, credit card strips, electric motors, cranes in scrap yards.)

Q 6Why should we NOT bring a magnet close to a mobile phone, a credit card or a wristwatch?

These devices contain parts that can be damaged or disturbed by a strong magnetic pull:
  • Mobile phone — sensitive electronic circuits and the tiny speaker magnet can be disturbed.
  • Credit/debit card — the black magnetic strip on the back stores your account data. A nearby magnet can scramble this data and erase the card.
  • Wristwatch — tiny iron/steel parts inside get magnetised and stick to each other, so the watch stops keeping correct time.

Q 7How does a magnetic compass work? Why does its needle always point towards the North?

A compass is a small magnetic needle balanced on a pointed pin so it can turn freely. Because the Earth itself behaves like a giant magnet, it gently pulls the compass needle into line with its own magnetic field. As a result, one end of the needle (the red/painted tip, which is its North pole) always settles pointing towards the geographic North, while the opposite end points South. This lets us find direction anywhere on Earth — without stars, sun or GPS.

Q 8Can we break a magnet into a piece that has only a North pole? Explain.

No, we cannot. Magnetic poles always come in pairs. If you break a bar magnet into two pieces, each small piece instantly becomes a new magnet with both a North pole and a South pole. Keep breaking the pieces smaller and smaller — every single piece, no matter how tiny, still has both N and S poles. A single, lonely pole (called a 'monopole') has never been found.

Q 9List 5 magnetic materials and 5 non-magnetic materials from everyday life.

Magnetic materials: iron nail, steel safety pin, paper clip, steel spoon, iron key, sewing needle (any 5 items made of iron/steel/nickel/cobalt).
Non-magnetic materials: wooden pencil, plastic ruler, aluminium foil, copper wire, rubber eraser, glass marble, paper, chalk (any 5).

Q 10Design an experiment to show that like poles repel each other.

Materials: Two bar magnets (A and B) with N and S clearly marked, a few round pencils, a smooth table.
  1. Lay the pencils parallel to each other on the table, about 5 cm apart.
  2. Place magnet A on top of the pencils so it can roll easily (pencils act as rollers that reduce friction).
  3. Hold magnet B in your hand. Bring its N pole slowly towards the N pole of A. Do not let them touch.
  4. Observe: magnet A will roll away from B — this is repulsion.
  5. Now bring the S pole of B towards the S pole of A. It will again roll away.
  6. Finally, bring N of B near S of A — this time A is pulled towards B (attraction).
Conclusion: Like poles (N-N or S-S) push each other away (repel); unlike poles (N-S) pull each other together (attract).

Q 11Describe, step-by-step, how you would make a magnet using a steel sewing needle and a bar magnet.

Single-touch method:
  1. Place the steel needle flat on a wooden or plastic table (not on iron!).
  2. Take the bar magnet and choose one pole, say the North pole (N).
  3. Touch this N pole gently to one end of the needle.
  4. Slide the magnet along the length of the needle to the other end — in one direction only.
  5. When you reach the end, lift the magnet high in the air (at least 20 cm) and bring it back to the starting point. Do NOT slide it back — that would un-do the magnetism.
  6. Repeat the same stroke in the same direction 30 to 40 times, always using the same pole (N) and always moving in the same direction.
Test: Bring the needle near tiny pins. If the needle picks them up, it has become a (temporary) magnet. The end of the needle where the magnet's N pole leaves becomes the South pole of the new magnet.

Q 12State True or False. Correct the false ones.

  1. A magnet has only one pole.
  2. Aluminium and copper are non-magnetic metals.
  3. The North pole of a freely suspended magnet points towards the geographic South.
  4. Heating a magnet makes it stronger.
  5. The magnetic compass was invented thousands of years ago.
1. False — every magnet has two poles (N and S).
2. True — aluminium and copper are metals but are not attracted by magnets.
3. False — the North pole points towards the geographic North.
4. False — heating a magnet strongly demagnetises it; it becomes weaker, not stronger.
5. True — compasses have been used for more than a thousand years (by Chinese navigators around the 11th century).
Well done! You have explored magnets from Reshma's stormy-sea story all the way to MRI machines. Keep a compass handy on your next trek — and remember, even in the darkest storm, science points the way home.

← Back to Part 1

Frequently Asked Questions — Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises

What does the topic 'Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises' cover in Class 6 Science?

The topic 'Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises' is part of NCERT Class 6 Science Chapter 4 — Exploring Magnets. It covers the key ideas of magnets, poles, attraction, repulsion, compass, NCERT exercises, 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 'Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises' important for Class 6 NCERT Science?

'Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises' 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 magnets 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 Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises?

The key ideas in 'Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises' for Class 6 Science are: magnets, poles, attraction, repulsion, compass, NCERT exercises. 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 Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises taught using activities in NCERT Curiosity Class 6?

NCERT Curiosity Class 6 Science teaches 'Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises' 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.

How should Class 6 students prepare for the Chapter 4 exercises?

To prepare for the Chapter 4 — Exploring Magnets — exercises in NCERT Class 6 Science, students should first revise the theory in Parts 1–3 and make a short note of definitions and diagrams for magnets, poles, attraction, repulsion, compass, NCERT exercises. Next, try each exercise question on their own before looking at the solution. Pay special attention to MCQs, match-the-following, fill-in-the-blanks, assertion–reason and short-answer items, as these often appear in CBSE competency-based tests. Practising with the NCERT Curiosity textbook, the exemplar questions, and the MyAiSchool practice bank helps Class 6 students score better in unit tests and the annual examination.

How does 'Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises' connect to other chapters of Class 6 Science?

'Exploring Magnets — Chapter 4 Exercises' connects to many other chapters in NCERT Class 6 Science Curiosity. The ideas of magnets 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.

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