Magnetism

Back in ancient times, people discovered that magnetite crystals attract or repel each other depending on orientation.  This physical phenomenon is referred to as magnetism. The word magnetism is, like magnesium, named after the town of Magnesia in Thessaly in ancient Greece where there is a high natural occurrence of magnetic rocks.  This type of rock is called magnetite.

It is the iron in the rock that is responsible for the magnetic properties of magnetite.  Many iron alloys possess magnetic properties.  In addition to iron, nickel and cobalt have magnetic properties as well.

Objects that strongly display this phenomenon are called magnets.  All magnets have two poles that are referred to as the north pole and the south pole of the magnet.  The north pole of a magnet repels the north pole of a different magnet and attracts the south pole of said magnet.  Two south poles also repel.