Magnets and Magnetism Around Us
Magnets seem like a simple concept when put right in front of you.
Some magnets can be found in your daily life, but you probably don’t pay attention to them. On your fridge, there are probably magnets from all the wonderful places you’ve been to, miss-matched letter magnets that your child placed on your fridge, or a magnet holding up your child’s wonderful drawing. Magnets are the main component of our toys such as our magnetic building tiles but even a toy relies on a complex science topic such as magnetism.
Magnets and magnetism are all around us. National Geographic states magnetism is the force created by magnets when they repel or attract each other. Every single magnet has a north and south pole. The same poles will repel or push off each other. The opposite poles attract or pull each other. The force magnets create; Magnetism works without having to touch a metal surface and works just as powerfully over distance. The power of magnets is truly phenomenal.
Magnetism is a complex science that scientists have yet to discover the full extent of. Magnets are man-made and easy to understand that magnets can only stick to metals. Natural magnets such as Lodestones which is a naturally magnetized piece of the mineral Magnetite that attracts Iron. We could tell you Earth is a giant magnet but we don’t want to get into that. Even the world's best scientists are still studying the giant magnet we call home. Let’s scale down the extent of the magnet. At PicassoTiles most of our magnets are tiny ones embedded in our toys; it’s what makes the majority of our toys compatible with each other. They’re hidden at the edges and covered by colorful plastic coverings that provide safety reassurance for parents.
But how do magnets work?
As promised we're going to explain how magnets work. It’s as simple as placing a magnet on your fridge. I think the question should be.
Why do magnets work the way they do? Magnets have poles labeled as a North and South pole. If you put two magnets toward each other they’re either going to attract each other or repel each other. Why is that? The saying goes “Opposites always attract” and the same can be said about magnets. North and South poles will always attract each other. South and North poles will always attract each other. Two north poles won’t attract each other and two south poles won’t attract each other.
But what about the magnets in your PicassoTiles toys?
If you remember the mini science lesson we just taught you, our magnetic building tiles work exactly like how we explained magnets work. Take two of our tiles and see which sides connect and which sides don’t connect. If you pay attention closely you’ll feel a pushing-off motion when two of the same poles are near each other. You’ll notice how quickly opposite poles connect. Like our other toys, the magnetic building tiles are enclosed behind a plastic case giving you a clicking sound when they connect. If the tiles aren’t clicking then they’re not connecting and it’s as simple as that!
We designed our toys with the majority of the sides being able to connect so you can create endless possibilities. Keep this lesson in mind and experiment with our toys and always remember, Learning is Fun!
Taking off to go explore the world with PicassoTiles toys? Be sure to check back on our blog page to find more fun and educational posts in the future!
