Page 33 - Reading Success B6

Look at your refrigerator door. There are usually notes and papers sticking on
it. They stick to the door because of small magnets. A magnet is an object that

pushes or pulls metals like iron, steel, and nickel. A magnet is usually made of
these same metals. Try to experiment. Get a magnet and a few pieces of metal

paper clips. Place the metal paper clips on a table. Mix them with small pieces of
plastic and paper. Then, place the magnet beside them. The pieces of metal

paper clips will move towards the magnet, and stick to it. The pieces of plastic and
paper will not.

Magnets can also pull each other. However, there are magnets that push each
other away. A magnet can pull metals and other magnets because it produces a

magnetic field around it. A magnetic field is the area where metals are affected by
a magnet’s force. Magnets have north and south poles. The north pole is the

general direction of a magnet’s magnetic field. The other direction is the south
pole. North and south poles are attracted to each other. North poles, however,

push other north poles away. The same thing goes for south poles. This is where
the saying “ opposites attract ” comes from. Magnets are not only used for sticking

notes on a refrigerator door. Magnets are also used by travelers to know which
way is north. They use an instrument called a magnetic compass. A compass is

made up of a turning magnet. It has a magnet that always points towards the
north. A magnet’s north pole points toward the general direction of the Earth’s

North Pole. The two north poles are related to each other. That is because the
Earth is a magnet, too!

Main Idea

What is the main idea of this story?

a. the nature of magnets

b. north poles of magnets
c. south poles of magnets

d. north poles of magnets and the Earth

36_Reading Success B 6