Make a Magnet!

We tend to think that some things are magnetic, and that some just aren't. But there are some non-magnetic materials that can be magnetized - they can be turned into magnets, and sometimes very simply. Here's an example:


What you'll need:
Screwdriver
Small magnet (not the flexible kind)
Metal paper clips


Hold the tip of the screwdriver near a small pile of paper clips. Does it pick them up? Probably not, because a normal screwdriver isn't a magnet (if your screwdriver is already magnetic, find another one for this experiment).


Hold the screwdriver tightly by the handle in one hand. With the other hand, rub the magnet along the metal part (blade) of the screwdriver, starting near the handle and moving along the blade to the tip. Keep rubbing for about one minute. Now try picking up some paper clips. What happens?


Wow - the screwdriver is now a magnet! But it's made out of the same metal as at the beginning of the experiment. So, some materials can be turned into magnets! How did this happen? The actual explanation is pretty complicated, but here's a simple way to think of this. You probably know that the ends of a magnet are different - it has both a "north" and a "south" pole. The atoms in the screwdriver blade act like little tiny magnets, with itsy-bitsy north and south poles. If the blade is not magnetized, the magnetic atoms are very disorganized, going every which way at once, pulling in every direction. When you rub the metal with a magnet, you help to line up these atoms so that they all point in the same direction. Now they all work together, and the screwdriver acts like a magnet.


Try magnetizing things made out of other materials, such as plastic, wood, or other kinds of metal. You'll find that only certain kinds of metals can be easily magnetized in this way - these metals are called ferromagnetic. This word comes from the Latin name for iron, "ferrum", because the most common magnetizable metal is iron (and steel). However, a few other metals, such as nickel and cobalt, are also referred to as ferromagnetic, even though they're not iron.