Identifying Permanent Magnets

Try this

People frequently confuse permanent magnets with non-magnetic materials that can be polarized by a nearby permanent magnet.

Collect a number of metallic objects from around the house. Using the Magnetometer tool, determine which materials are magnetic and which materials are not. (Note: Because the phone produces a magnetic field itself, even non-magnetic materials moved near the mobile device might interfere with the field and given a false impression that the item is magnetic. For the best result, hold the object steady, and compare with the magnetic field recorded by the mobile device when no object is present).

Challenge yourself

• What kinds of metals seem to make up permanent magnets?
• Can you ever get the mobile device to record a magnetic field of 0 in all directions? Why or why not?