Discovery of Magnets

Discovery of Magnets

                  

                     How magnets were discovered? It is an interesting story. It is said that, there was a shepherd named Magnes, who lived in Magnesia in Asiaminor. he used to take his herd of sheep and goats to the nearby mountains for grazing. He would take a stick with him to control his herd. The stick had a small piece of iron attached to one end .one day he was surprised to find that he had to pull hard to free his stick from a rock. He thought that the rock was God. the rock was a natural magnet and it attracted the iron tip of the shepherd's stick. It is said that this is how natural magnets were discovered.

                People have discovered that certain rocks have the property of attracting pieces of iron. In early days Chinese navigators used magnets to find the direction. The magnetites are the natural magnets. they are called as magnetic stones. Natural magnets do not have definite shape. when a magnet is freely suspended, it always comes to rest in north-south direction. That is why they are called as leading stones or load stones.

            After the method of magnetization of iron plate came into practice, we started making different types of magnets and using them.