Magnetism is a force that can attract or repel certain materials, especially iron, steel, nickel, and cobalt. In Grade 9 Cambridge science, students learn that magnets have two poles: the north pole and the south pole. Like poles repel each other, while unlike poles attract.

A key idea in this topic is the magnetic field, which is the region around a magnet where magnetic forces can be felt. Magnetic field lines show the direction of the force and always go from the north pole to the south pole outside the magnet.

Students also study how magnets can be made and how they lose magnetism. In addition, they learn about electromagnets, which are created when an electric current flows through a coil of wire around an iron core. The strength of an electromagnet can be increased by increasing the current or the number of coils.

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