History of Magnets
The earliest magnets were referred to as lodestone or magnetite. There is a story
that a shepherd from the island of Crete was the first to discover lodestone when his crook, which
had an iron tip, was pulled towards a stone when he passed over it. The Shepard’s name was Magnes.
Another story is that Archimedes, a scientist from ancient Greece, is supposed to have
pulled the nails out of enemy ships by using lodestone. The ships then came apart causing them to sink.
Read more detailed history of magnets here.
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Lodestones are natural magnets made mostly of the mineral magnetite. Click here to see a picture of lodestone and read more about magnets and lodestones.
1. Does a lodestone look like anything you've seen before?
2. On the map above you can easily spot Greece; but look a bit closer. Crete is located south of Greece. Zoom in closer and try to
locate this small island whose capital is Heraklion (double click on the map when you think you locate it).
3. On your map color Greece red and color Crete yellow.
that a shepherd from the island of Crete was the first to discover lodestone when his crook, which
had an iron tip, was pulled towards a stone when he passed over it. The Shepard’s name was Magnes.
Another story is that Archimedes, a scientist from ancient Greece, is supposed to have
pulled the nails out of enemy ships by using lodestone. The ships then came apart causing them to sink.
Read more detailed history of magnets here.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lodestones are natural magnets made mostly of the mineral magnetite. Click here to see a picture of lodestone and read more about magnets and lodestones.
1. Does a lodestone look like anything you've seen before?
2. On the map above you can easily spot Greece; but look a bit closer. Crete is located south of Greece. Zoom in closer and try to
locate this small island whose capital is Heraklion (double click on the map when you think you locate it).
3. On your map color Greece red and color Crete yellow.