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The Earth behaves like a giant bar magnet and as such there is a magnetic field present around it. The Earth’s magnetic field is thought to be caused by flowing liquid metals in the outer core of the planet which causes electric currents and a magnetic field.

The idea of the electric field, how it's useful, and explains how the electric field is defined.

• Determine the variables that affect how charged bodies interact.
• Predict how charged bodies will interact.
• Describe the strength and direction of the electric field around a charged body.
• Use free-body diagrams and vector addition to help explain the interactions.

Introduction to magnetism: Wikipedia article that provides an overview of the concept.

In this lesson you will learn about:

• The concept of magnetism
• Be able to identify magnetic and non-magnetic materials
• Identify properties and types of magnets
• Understand that metals can be magnetised and de-magnetised
• Understand that magnets have a magnetic field
• Understand that the Earth has a magnetic field

The force that acts across the air gaps between magnets is the same force that creates wonders such as the Aurora Borealis. In fact, magnetic effects pervade our lives in myriad ways, from electric motors to medical imaging and computer memory. In this chapter, we introduce magnets and learn how they work and how magnetic fields and electric currents interact.

Forces at a distance are explained by fields (gravitational, electric, and magnetic) permeating space that can transfer energy through space. Magnets or electric currents cause magnetic fields; electric charges or changing magnetic fields cause electric fields.

Magnetism is an interaction that allows certain kinds of objects, which are called ‘magnetic’ objects, to exert forces on each other without physically touching. A magnetic object is surrounded by a magnetic ‘field’ that gets weaker as one moves further away from the object. A second object can feel a magnetic force from the first object because it feels the magnetic field of the first object. The further away the objects are the weaker the magnetic force will be.

Electric charge comes in two varieties, which we call positive and negative. Like charges repel each other, and unlike charges attract each other. Thus, two positive charges repel each other, as do two negative charges. A positive charge and a negative charge attract each other.

How do we know there are two types of electric charge? When various materials are rubbed together in controlled ways, certain combinations of materials always result in a net charge of one type on one material and a net charge of the opposite type on the other material. By convention, we call one type of charge positive and the other type negative.

In this lesson you will learn that:

• Static electricity is a build-up of charge in an object.
• The build-up pf charge is caused by insulating materials rub against each other.
• The motion of these charges causes small shocks, lightening and sparks.
• These charges can be detected. 
• Certain materials can be classified as insulators, and others as conductors.
• Capacitors are small devices in circuits which can store charge.
• Lightning rods are used to allow charges from strikes to travel safely and dissipate in the Earth