Magnets?

The electrons that whizz around ATOMS don't just create electricity. They are responsible for the mysterious force of MAGNETISM.

Whenever an electron moves, it creates a magnetic field around it just like the field around a bar magnet. Every atom has electrons, so therefore every atom is magnetic. Or is it?

Normally the atomic magnets in objects I.E a table are jumbled up and have no arrangement, this means that the magnetic fields cancel each other out - there is NO NORTH and SOUTH magnetic poles. However, in some materials, such as IRON, the magnetic fields of atoms can line up together. Then the whole piece of IRON acts as a single magnet.

Magnets are surrounded by something called a FIELD OF FORCE. It's INVISIBLE! But you can see it by scattering iron filings on a piece of paper and placing a magnet on top. The iron filings jiggle about until they spread themselves as EVENLY as possible within the magnetic field. They particularly cluster around the NORTH and SOUTH poles, where the magnetic force is the most strongest.

Why is Earth magnetic?

Earth is a giant magnet and our planet has a liquid outer-core that is largely composed of IRON. However, the IRON in our outer-core CAN'T be magnetic as iron LOOSES its magnetic abilities at 760 degrees Celsius and our inner-core is roughly 5,000 degrees Celsius! One possibility, and I personally think this IS reason, is that our Earths magnetic field is generated by the swirling electric currents within the outer-core which are in-turn caused by our planets rotation about its axis.