What is magnetism and how is it related to the Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Science curriculum?

Magnetism is a force of attraction or repulsion that acts at a distance due to a magnetic field. In the Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Science curriculum, magnetism is studied under the topic of Electricity and Magnetism. Students learn about the properties of magnets, magnetic fields, and their applications in everyday life.

How do magnets interact with each other according to the principles of simple phenomena of magnetism?

Magnets interact with each other through their magnetic fields. According to the principles of simple phenomena of magnetism, like poles repel each other (north-north or south-south), while opposite poles attract (north-south). This interaction is a fundamental concept in the study of magnetism within the Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Science syllabus.

What are magnetic fields and how can they be visualized in a classroom setting?

Magnetic fields are invisible areas around a magnet where magnetic forces are exerted. They can be visualized in a classroom setting using iron filings or a compass. When iron filings are sprinkled around a magnet, they align along the magnetic field lines, showing the pattern of the field. This demonstration is a key part of understanding simple phenomena of magnetism in the Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Science curriculum.

What materials are considered magnetic and why are they important in the study of magnetism?

Magnetic materials are those that can be attracted by a magnet, such as iron, nickel, and cobalt. These materials are important in the study of magnetism because they can be magnetized, meaning they can become magnets themselves. Understanding which materials are magnetic helps students grasp the practical applications of magnetism, as outlined in the Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Science course.

How does the Earth's magnetic field affect compasses and navigation?

The Earth's magnetic field affects compasses by aligning the compass needle with the magnetic north and south poles. This allows for navigation by providing a consistent reference direction. In the Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Science curriculum, students learn about the Earth's magnetic field as a natural example of magnetism and its practical applications in navigation.

Why is "Using attraction as a test for a permanent magnet" a common mistake in Simple Phenomena of Magnetism ?

Why it happens: Both permanent and induced magnets attract a permanent magnet, so attraction is not distinctive. How to avoid it: Only repulsion proves permanent magnetism. If an object repels one pole of a known permanent magnet, it must be a permanent magnet itself.

Why is "Drawing magnetic field lines that cross each other" a common mistake in Simple Phenomena of Magnetism ?

Why it happens: Students sketch field lines freehand without care. How to avoid it: Field lines never cross — if they did, the field would have two directions at that point, which is impossible. Check diagrams and erase any that cross.

Why is "Assuming all metals are attracted to magnets" a common mistake in Simple Phenomena of Magnetism ?

Why it happens: Students generalise from common experience with iron. How to avoid it: Only ferromagnetic materials (iron, steel, nickel, cobalt) are attracted. Copper, aluminium, gold, and most other metals are non-magnetic.

Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Science (0654)

Simple Phenomena of Magnetism

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Short Notes - Simple Phenomena of Magnetism

Detailed Study Notes

Detailed notes on Electricity and Magnetism for Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Science, covering key concepts, explanations, examples, and exam-focused revision points.

Magnetism — Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Science 0654

Magnetism is caused by aligned magnetic domains and by moving electric charges. Cambridge tests the properties of magnets, magnetic fields, how to distinguish magnetic from non-magnetic materials, and the difference between permanent and induced magnetism.

At a glance

Magnets have two poles: north and south. Like poles repel; unlike poles attract.
Magnetic materials: iron, steel, cobalt, nickel. Non-magnetic: copper, aluminium, wood, plastic.
Magnetic field lines: leave north, enter south; never cross; closer lines → stronger field.
Induced magnetism: a magnetic material placed near a magnet becomes a temporary magnet. Iron: easily magnetised/demagnetised (soft). Steel: hard to demagnetise (hard).
Magnetic field of a current-carrying wire: concentric circles. Right-hand grip rule → direction.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0654 syllabus (2025-2027).

P5.1a — Describe the properties of magnets and magnetic fields.
P5.1b — Identify magnetic materials and describe induced magnetism.
P5.1c — Describe the magnetic field patterns around magnets and current-carrying conductors.

Magnets and Magnetic Fields

Know the rules for attraction/repulsion, how to draw field lines, and what makes a material magnetic.

Properties of magnets:

Every magnet has two poles: North (N) and South (S)
Like poles REPEL; unlike poles ATTRACT
The force between magnets is strongest at the poles
A freely suspended magnet aligns with Earth's magnetic field (N pole points roughly geographic north)

Magnetic and non-magnetic materials:

Magnetic (ferromagnetic): iron, steel, nickel, cobalt → attracted to magnets
Non-magnetic: copper, aluminium, brass, wood, plastic, glass → NOT attracted to magnets
Testing: bring a magnet close — attraction does NOT prove material is a magnet; repulsion DOES prove it is a magnet

Magnetic field:

Region of space where a magnetic force is experienced
Represented by field lines (flux lines)
Field lines: exit from N pole, enter S pole; never cross; closer = stronger field; arrows show direction from N to S

Field patterns:

Between unlike poles: field lines curve from N to S (attraction between poles)
Between like poles: field lines repel; a neutral point exists between them where field = 0

Induced magnetism:

A magnetic material placed in a magnetic field becomes temporarily magnetised
The end closest to the N pole of a magnet becomes an S pole (explaining attraction)
Soft iron: easily magnetised and easily demagnetised → used in electromagnets, transformer cores
Steel: hard to magnetise; but once magnetised, retains magnetism → used in permanent magnets

Demagnetisation:

Heating above Curie temperature
Repeated hammering
Placing in a coil carrying alternating current (AC)

Magnetic field lines run from north to south outside the magnet and never cross; their density shows field strength.

Like poles repel; unlike poles attract. Repulsion proves both are magnets.
Magnetic: iron, steel, cobalt, nickel. Non-magnetic: copper, aluminium.
Induced magnetism: nearest end to N pole becomes S pole.

Magnetic Fields Due to Currents

A current creates a magnetic field. Coils concentrate and strengthen this field.

Field around a straight wire:

Concentric circles centred on the wire
Right-hand grip rule: grip the wire with right hand; thumb points in direction of conventional current → fingers curl in direction of field

Field around a solenoid (coil):

Field inside the solenoid is uniform and strong (like a bar magnet field)
Outside, field pattern resembles a bar magnet
One end acts as N pole, the other as S pole
Increasing current, or number of turns, strengthens the field
Adding an iron core greatly increases the field strength (electromagnet)

Electromagnet:

A coil of wire with a soft iron core carrying current
Temporary magnet — magnetic only when current flows
Can be switched on/off; strength varied by changing current or number of turns
Uses: electric bells, relays, maglev trains, MRI scanners, scrapyard cranes, circuit breakers

Advantages over permanent magnets:

Can be switched on/off
Strength is controllable
Soft iron core demagnetises when current stops

Current in wire: circular magnetic field. Right-hand grip rule → field direction.
Solenoid: uniform field inside; bar-magnet-like field outside.
Electromagnet: temporary; controlled by current; uses soft iron core.

Quick recap

Like poles repel; unlike attract. Magnetic: Fe, Co, Ni, steel.
Field lines: N→S; closer = stronger. Never cross.
Induced magnetism: iron = temporary (soft). Steel = permanent (hard).
Current → circular magnetic field (right-hand grip rule). Solenoid → uniform internal field.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

Like poles repel; unlike poles attract — repulsion is proof both objects are magnets.
Ferromagnetic materials — iron, cobalt, nickel, steel.
Soft iron — easily magnetised/demagnetised → electromagnets.
Steel — hard to demagnetise → permanent magnets.
Right-hand grip rule — thumb: current direction; fingers: field direction around wire.

How it’s examined

Paper 4: 'Describe how you would test whether a metal rod is a magnet or just a magnetic material' (2 marks — bring known magnet close to each end; if one end repels, rod is a magnet; attraction alone is not proof). 'State TWO ways to increase the strength of an electromagnet' (2 marks — increase current; increase number of turns; add iron core). 'Draw the magnetic field pattern around a bar magnet' (2 marks — lines from N to S; lines closer at poles). MCQ: which materials are attracted to a magnet.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE Coordinated Sciences 0654 syllabus 2025-2027 (P5); 0654 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-05-14.

Take this whole topic with you

Step-by-step worked examples — Simple Phenomena of Magnetism

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on simple phenomena of magnetism , written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Identifying magnetic materials
Core• magnetic materials, ferromagnetic
Question
A student tests several materials with a bar magnet: iron, copper, steel, aluminium, nickel. Identify which materials are attracted to the magnet and explain why.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Iron, steel, and nickel are ferromagnetic materials — they are attracted to magnets. Their atomic structure allows magnetic domains to align with an external field.
2. Step 2
  Copper and aluminium are non-magnetic metals. They do not have the domain structure required for ferromagnetism and are not attracted to a magnet.
Answer
Iron, steel, and nickel are attracted (ferromagnetic). Copper and aluminium are not attracted (non-magnetic).
Examiner tip
Steel and iron are both ferromagnetic, but steel is a hard magnetic material (harder to magnetise/demagnetise) while iron is soft (easily magnetised and demagnetised).
2Plotting the magnetic field of a bar magnet
Extended• magnetic field lines, bar magnet, plotting compass
Question
Describe an experiment to plot the magnetic field pattern around a bar magnet, and state three rules for drawing magnetic field lines.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Place the bar magnet on paper. Position a plotting compass near one pole. Mark the direction in which the north pole of the compass points. Move the compass to this new position and repeat. Join the marks to form a field line.
2. Step 2
  Repeat from several starting positions to obtain a full field pattern.
3. Step 3
  Three rules for magnetic field lines: (1) They run from the north pole to the south pole outside the magnet. (2) They never cross. (3) Where lines are closer together, the field is stronger.
Answer
Use a plotting compass to trace field lines from N to S. Lines never cross; closer lines = stronger field; lines emerge from N pole and enter S pole.
3Induced magnetism and testing
Challenge• induced magnetism, permanent magnet, testing
Question
Explain the difference between a permanent magnet and an induced magnet. Describe how you would determine whether an object is a permanent magnet or just a piece of magnetised iron.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Permanent magnet: retains its magnetism without an external field. Induced magnet: only magnetic when near a permanent magnet; loses most magnetism when removed from the field.
2. Step 2
  Test: Bring the object near a plotting compass. If it deflects the compass, it is magnetic. Then remove any nearby permanent magnets and test again.
3. Step 3
  If the object attracts both poles of a known magnet, it is an induced magnet (not a permanent magnet) — it becomes a temporary magnet with opposite poles to whatever approaches it.
4. Step 4
  If the object repels one pole of a known magnet, it is a permanent magnet — only permanent magnets can repel.
Answer
Repulsion is the definitive test for a permanent magnet. An induced magnet will attract both poles of a permanent magnet but never repel.

Key Formulae — Simple Phenomena of Magnetism

The formulae you need to memorise for simple phenomena of magnetism on the Cambridge IGCSE 0654 paper, with every variable defined in plain English and a note on when to use it.

Right-hand grip rule (solenoid)
$\text{Wrap right hand around solenoid: fingers point in direction of current; thumb points to N pole}$
When to use
Finding the north pole of a current-carrying solenoid.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Simple Phenomena of Magnetism

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for simple phenomena of magnetism answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0654 sitting.

Magnetic field
Examiner keyword
A region of space in which a magnetic force is exerted on a magnetic material or a moving charge. Represented by field lines from N to S outside the magnet.
Permanent magnet
Examiner keyword
A magnet that retains its magnetism without an external magnetic field. Made from hard magnetic materials such as steel or alnico.
Related: induced magnet
Induced magnet
Examiner keyword
A material that becomes magnetic only when placed in an external magnetic field. It loses most of its magnetism when removed from the field. Made from soft magnetic materials such as iron.
Related: permanent magnet
Magnetic domain
A small region in a ferromagnetic material in which the magnetic moments of atoms are aligned. In an unmagnetised material, domains point in random directions; in a magnetised material, many domains are aligned.
Ferromagnetic material
Examiner keyword
A material that is strongly attracted by a magnet and can be magnetised. Examples: iron, steel, nickel, cobalt.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Simple Phenomena of Magnetism

The traps other students keep falling into on simple phenomena of magnetism questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0654 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Using attraction as a test for a permanent magnet
Why it happens
Both permanent and induced magnets attract a permanent magnet, so attraction is not distinctive.
How to avoid it
Only repulsion proves permanent magnetism. If an object repels one pole of a known permanent magnet, it must be a permanent magnet itself.
✕Drawing magnetic field lines that cross each other
Why it happens
Students sketch field lines freehand without care.
How to avoid it
Field lines never cross — if they did, the field would have two directions at that point, which is impossible. Check diagrams and erase any that cross.
✕Assuming all metals are attracted to magnets
Why it happens
Students generalise from common experience with iron.
How to avoid it
Only ferromagnetic materials (iron, steel, nickel, cobalt) are attracted. Copper, aluminium, gold, and most other metals are non-magnetic.