NCERT Solutions for Class 6th Science Chapter 4 Exploring Magnets
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
A magnet is an object that attracts iron, nickel and cobalt. Magnets found in nature are called lodestones ; the bar, U-shaped and ring magnets in your laboratory are artificial magnets . Materials pulled towards a magnet are magnetic materials (iron, nickel, cobalt, steel). Materials that are not pulled are non-magnetic materials (wood, rubber, plastic, glass, paper, copper, aluminium). Every magnet has two poles — a North pole and a South pole — at its two ends, where the pull is strongest. Poles always come in pairs ; a single pole cannot exist, no matter how small you break the magnet. A freely suspended magnet always rests along the north-south direction , because the Earth itself behaves like a giant magnet. This is the idea behind the magnetic compass , and behind India's old matsya
- Magnetic and Non-magnetic Materials
- Poles of Magnet
- Finding Directions
- Making your own magnetic compass
- Attraction and Repulsion between Magnets
- A compass needle and a magnet
- Does the magnetic effect pass through other materials?
- Fun with Magnets
- End-of-chapter exercise
- Projects and further exploration
Quick revision
| Term | What it means | Where it comes in the chapter | Everyday example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnet | An object that attracts iron and, when hung freely, rests along the north-south direction | Page 62 | The magnet in a pencil-box lid or a fridge sticker |
| Lodestone | A naturally occurring magnet, discovered in ancient times | Page 62 | Used by sailors of the olden days |
| Artificial magnet | A magnet made by people — bar, U-shaped, ring, disc, cylindrical, spherical | Fig. 4.2, page 62 | Laboratory bar magnet, toy magnets |
| Magnetic material | A material that is attracted towards a magnet | Section 4.1, page 64 | Iron nail, steel U-clip, safety pin |
| Non-magnetic material | A material that is not attracted towards a magnet | Section 4.1, page 64 | Wooden pencil, rubber eraser, plastic scale, glass bangle |
| Poles of a magnet | The two ends where the attraction is strongest — North pole and South pole | Section 4.2, page 65 | Iron filings crowd only at the two ends of a bar magnet |
| North (north-seeking) pole | The end of a freely suspended magnet that turns towards north; usually painted red | Section 4.3, page 66 | The red end of a compass needle |
| Magnetic compass | A small box with a freely rotating magnetic needle that shows the north-south direction | Fig. 4.6, page 66 | Used by trekkers; the old Indian matsya-yantra |
| Attraction | The pull between unlike poles (N–S) | Section 4.4, page 68 | A fridge magnet gripping the steel door |
| Repulsion | The push between like poles (N–N or S–S) | Section 4.4, page 68 | Two matchbox magnet-cars running away from each other |
| Magnetic effect through materials | The magnetic force still acts when wood, cardboard, plastic or glass is placed in between | Table 4.2, page 71 | Steering steel balls through a cardboard maze |
Exercises
- Activity 4.1: Let us explore — Magnetic and Non-magnetic Materials Page 62 & 63
- Activity 4.2: Let us investigate — Poles of Magnet Page 64
- Activity 4.3: Let us experiment — Finding Directions Page 65 & 66
- Activity 4.4: Let us construct — Making your own magnetic compass Page 67
- Activity 4.5: Let us experiment — Attraction and Repulsion between Magnets Page 68
- Activity 4.6: Let us experiment — A compass needle and a magnet Page 69
- Activity 4.7: Let us investigate — Does the magnetic effect pass through other materials? Page 70 & 71
- Fun with Magnets — Fun with Magnets Page 71 & 72
- End-of-chapter exercise — Let us enhance our learning Page 74–76
- Projects and further exploration — Learning further Page 76 & 77