Magnetism Basics
Think of magnets as having two distinct personalities at opposite ends - the north pole and south pole. Just like people, opposites attract whilst similar personalities clash.
Like poles repel (N-N or S-S push away from each other) whilst unlike poles attract (N-S pull together). The magnetic force is strongest right at the poles and works as a non-contact force - meaning magnets don't need to touch to affect each other.
Only certain metals respond to magnets: iron, steel, cobalt and nickel. These are called magnetic materials, and they're the reason your steel scissors stick to a magnet but your plastic ruler doesn't.
Key Tip: The magnetic force gets weaker as you move further from the poles - that's why magnets work best when they're close together.
