Standard 6.3: Explain how objects like the earth and metals can be permanent or temporary magnets.
In this unit we learned how the earth is like a magnet. The earth is made up of various things, like the crust, mantle, outer and inner core. The core is made of metals that are dense elements, which sink. Our outer core is molten, ionized, metals. This means that these metals are moving and the charges are able to flow easily. And because the earth is also rotating, it increase the movement of charges. These charges create the earth's magnetic field. That is why the earth is a permanent magnet. Their magnetic domains are aligned, which causes their magnetic fields to add together to make a stronger field. An example of a temporary magnet would be aluminum paper clips. In aluminum, there are domains. However they all don't line up. In the presence a permanent magnet, the paper clip then becomes a temporary magnet.
Earth's Core:
Here is an example of an object, like aluminum paper clips, becoming a temporary magnet when in the presence of a permanent magnet:
