 Hi, my name is Christina and I work at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. And today we're going to talk about magnets, like these. Magnets are everywhere, including in things like doorbells, speakers, scrap metal sorters, and even this toy. Inside this board, there are actually thousands of small magnetic objects. This pen is actually a small magnet, which attracts all these magnetic objects to the front of the board where we can see them. The eraser is another magnet behind the whiteboard that pulls the magnetic objects back and out of sight. So you've probably played with toys like these before, but have you ever asked yourself what a magnet is? A magnet is an object that has a north and south pole and creates a magnetic field. Magnets are typically made of metals such as iron and cobalt. The atoms of these metals form clusters called domains. Imagine that these candy pieces are the domains inside this metal bar. When the domains are not aligned, like this, the metal is not magnetized. It is only when most of the domains are aligned in the same direction that the metal becomes a magnet. This is a bar magnet. When we put the bar magnet on a board containing iron filings, we can see the lines of force of the magnetic field. When opposite poles of a magnet are brought together, the lines of force join up and the magnets pull together. When like poles are brought together, the lines of force push away from each other and the magnets repel. When poles are not well aligned, the attraction or repulsion is not as strong. These are really strong magnets. When they're joined together and opposite poles are aligned, the attraction is so strong that it can support up to 200 pounds. But when we unalign the poles, the magnets become easier to separate. And that's how magnets work. The Canada Science and Technology Museum has many artifacts on this plate that contain magnets. So come visit us or check us out on the web.