Chapter 4 — Exploring Magnets
Curiosity: Textbook of Science, Grade 6 · pages 61–78
Lesson
The full chapter: 14 key terms, 11 concepts, 12 figures described, and every end-of-chapter question.
Revision Sheet
The rules of attraction and repulsion, the compass, the repulsion test, and the "how to keep magnets safe" list — on one page.
Flashcards
29 click-to-flip cards in 5 decks, plus a rapid-fire drill. Shuffle them for a harder run.
Mind Map
From lodestone to compass: materials → poles → direction → attraction/repulsion → uses and care.
Question Bank
35 written questions, 52 marks — fill in the blanks, true/false, match, short and long answers, and HOTS.
MCQ Quest — 50 questions
5 levels. No answers revealed until you finish, then a full review — plus a rank badge and XP bar at the end.
What this chapter is about
Reshma, a girl from a coastal town in Kerala, is writing a story about sailors lost in a storm with no stars to guide them — and discovers the magnetic compass. Following her curiosity, the chapter explores magnetic and non-magnetic materials (iron, nickel, cobalt), the two poles of every magnet (which can never be separated), how a freely suspended magnet always points north–south because the Earth itself behaves like a giant magnet, how to make your own magnet and compass, the ancient Indian matsya-yantra, the rule that like poles repel and unlike poles attract, and how magnetism acts even through non-magnetic materials. It ends with fun magnet games and how to keep magnets safe.
The six things most worth remembering
1 · Magnetic materials
Materials attracted by a magnet — iron, nickel, cobalt (and some of their combinations). Wood, plastic, rubber, glass are non-magnetic.
2 · Poles come in pairs
Iron filings cling most at the ends (poles). Break a magnet and every piece still has a North and a South pole — a single pole cannot exist.
3 · Magnets point north–south
A freely suspended magnet always rests along the north–south direction, because the Earth behaves like a giant magnet. This is how a compass works.
4 · Like repel, unlike attract
N–N or S–S repel; N–S attract. Repulsion is the sure test for a magnet — an iron bar is attracted by both poles but never repels.
5 · Magnetism passes through
Wood, cardboard, plastic and glass placed between a magnet and a compass do not stop the effect — magnetism acts through non-magnetic materials.
6 · Matsya-yantra
An early Indian navigation device: a magnetised fish-shaped iron piece floating in a vessel of oil.