Question

How do magnets lose their magnetic property? What can be done to keep them safe?
[5 marks]

Answer 1

Magnets lose their properties if they are heated, hammered or dropped from some height. Also, magnets become weak if they are not stored properly.
[2 marks]

Ways to keep magnets safe:
1. They should be kept in pairs with their unlike poles on the same side.
[1 mark]
2. For horseshoe magnet, one should keep a piece of iron across the poles.
[1 mark]
3. Take care to protect the magnet against mechanical shock. Some magnets are brittle. They will crack or break if they fall on a hard surface or bang against metal or another magnet. Do not strike them with a hammer.
[1 mark]