Magic of magnets

The force you can't see, but feel everywhere

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Magnets are everywhere — in your headphones, on your fridge door, inside your computer, even deep below your feet in the Earth itself.

They hold, pull, lift, guide, and store. Without them, much of our modern world would simply stop working.

Poles and forces

All magnets have two poles — north and south. Like poles repel each other, and unlike poles attract. No matter how many times a magnet is cut, each piece will always form its own north and south poles. This happens because the alignment of the atomic domains runs throughout the material.

The strength of a magnet is greatest near its poles. The invisible region around it, where the magnetic force can act, is called a magnetic field.

We can imagine this field through lines that curve from the north pole to the south pole, showing the direction of force.

The giant magnet

Our planet itself behaves like a gigantic magnet. Deep within its molten core, moving metals such as iron and nickel create electric currents that generate Earth’s magnetic field. This field protects us from harmful solar radiation and helps compasses point north.