Causes of Magnetism

Question 1

Inside atoms, most electrons tend to form pairs in which one of them is “spin up” and the other is “spin down,” or in other words their angular momenta point in opposite directions. In this case, the magnetic fields created by those spins point in opposite directions, so they ………. each other.

Answer 1

Cancel

Question 2

Some atoms contain one or more unpaired electrons, when a significant majority of unpaired electrons are aligned with their spins in the same direction they combine to produce a …… …….

Answer 2

Magnetic field

Question 3

Magnetic field sources are dipolar, meaning that they have a ………. … ……. pole.

Answer 3

north and south.

Question 4

Opposite poles (N and S) attract, and like poles (N and N, or S and S) ……

Answer 4

repel

Question 5

Earth is a giant magnet. The planet gets its magnetic field from circulating …….. …… within the molten metallic core,

Answer 5

electric current

Question 6

A compass points north because the small magnetic needle in it is suspended so that it can spin freely inside its casing to align itself with Earth’s …….. ……

Answer 6

magnetic field.

(Paradoxically, what we call the Magnetic North Pole is actually a south magnetic pole because it attracts the north magnetic poles of compass needles.)