Case Study-Exploring Magnets-Class 6-Science

Case Study 1: Reshma and the Lost Directions

Reshma, a girl from a coastal town in Kerala, was writing a story about a ship carrying spices. In the story, the sailors got lost during a storm when the stars were not visible. Reshma was confused about how the sailors would find their way. She searched for information and learned about the magnetic compass, which helps in navigation. She realized that sailors in olden times used magnets in compasses to find directions. This made her curious about magnets and their properties. She started observing magnets in daily life, such as in pencil boxes, bags, and school boards.

Questions & Answers:

1. Why did Reshma start learning about magnets?
   Answer: She was writing a story where sailors lost their way and discovered that a magnetic compass helps in navigation.

2. What did sailors use before the invention of the magnetic compass?
   Answer: They used stars to find directions at night.

3. Where do we commonly see magnets in daily life?
   Answer: In pencil boxes, purses, school whiteboards, and refrigerator doors.

4. What is a magnetic compass?
   Answer: A device that uses a magnetized needle to indicate directions.

5. Why are magnets important for navigation?
   Answer: They always align in the north-south direction, helping sailors find their way.

Case Study 2: Magnetic and Non-Magnetic Materials

Reshma’s teacher gave the students an activity to identify magnetic and non-magnetic materials. They collected objects like coins, pencils, erasers, nails, and plastic items. They predicted which items would be attracted to a magnet. After testing, they found that materials like iron nails and steel pins stuck to the magnet, while wood, plastic, and rubber did not. The teacher explained that materials attracted to magnets are called magnetic materials, while those that are not attracted are called non-magnetic materials.

Questions & Answers:

1. What are magnetic materials?
   Answer: Materials that are attracted to magnets, such as iron, nickel, and cobalt.

2. Give examples of non-magnetic materials.
   Answer: Wood, plastic, rubber, and glass.

3. How did Reshma and her friends test if an object was magnetic?
   Answer: They brought a magnet near various objects and observed which ones were attracted.

4. What conclusion did Reshma and her classmates reach?
   Answer: Only certain metals, like iron and nickel, are attracted to magnets, while non-metals are not.

5. Why are some metals magnetic while others are not?
   Answer: Magnetic materials have certain atomic structures that respond to a magnet’s force.

Case Study 3: Poles of a Magnet

Reshma and her classmates performed an experiment with iron filings and a bar magnet. They spread iron filings on a sheet and placed a magnet over them. They noticed that the filings gathered mostly at the ends of the magnet. Their teacher explained that these ends are called the poles of the magnet, and they are the strongest parts of the magnet. The two poles are called the North Pole and the South Pole. The students then broke a magnet into two and observed that each piece still had both a North and a South Pole. They learned that a magnet always has two poles, no matter how small it is.

Questions & Answers:

1. Where do iron filings stick the most on a magnet?
   Answer: Near the ends of the magnet, called the North and South Poles.

2. What happens when you break a magnet into two pieces?
   Answer: Each piece still has both a North and a South Pole.

3. Can a magnet ever have only one pole?
   Answer: No, a magnet always has both a North and a South Pole.

4. What experiment did Reshma perform to find the poles of a magnet?
   Answer: She used iron filings and observed where they gathered the most on a magnet.

5. Why do the poles of a magnet attract more iron filings?
   Answer: Because the magnetic force is strongest at the poles.

Case Study 4: Finding Directions with a Magnet

Reshma and her friends performed an experiment to see how magnets help in navigation. They suspended a bar magnet with a thread and noticed that it always aligned itself in the north-south direction. Their teacher explained that this happens because the Earth itself acts like a giant magnet. This principle is used in a magnetic compass, which sailors and travelers use to find directions. Reshma was amazed to learn that a simple magnet can help people navigate across the world!

Questions & Answers:

1. What happens when a magnet is suspended freely?
   Answer: It aligns itself in the north-south direction.

2. Why does a freely suspended magnet point north-south?
   Answer: Because the Earth acts like a giant magnet.

3. What device uses this property of magnets?
   Answer: A magnetic compass.

4. How did Reshma test this property?
   Answer: She suspended a magnet with a thread and observed its direction.

5. Why is this property useful?
   Answer: It helps travelers and sailors find directions.

Case Study 5: Attraction and Repulsion Between Magnets

Reshma and her friends played with two bar magnets. They noticed that when they brought the North Pole of one magnet close to the South Pole of another, they attracted each other. However, when they brought two North Poles or two South Poles together, they pushed away from each other. Their teacher explained that opposite poles attract, and like poles repel. This concept is used in many devices, such as magnetic locks and electric motors.

Questions & Answers:

1. What happens when two North Poles of magnets are brought close?
   Answer: They repel each other.

2. What happens when a North Pole and a South Pole are brought close?
   Answer: They attract each other.

3. What rule governs the interaction of magnetic poles?
   Answer: Like poles repel, unlike poles attract.

4. Where do we use this property of magnets in daily life?
   Answer: In magnetic locks, electric motors, and compasses.

5. How did Reshma test attraction and repulsion?
   Answer: She brought the poles of two magnets together and observed their movement.