Question

If you put something like a piece of cardboard between a magnet and an iron nail, the magnet still holds the nail in place, even though the magnet is not touching the nail. Explain how that happens. Use the word induce in your response.

Answer 1

A magnet has a field having lines of force around it that moves through the air which is a nonpermeable medium that allows the passage of magnetic field lines of force. The cardboard is a similar nonpermeable medium and the magnetic lines of force pass through to induce magnetism in the iron nail which is a ferromagnetic material that becomes magnetized by the magnetic field from the magnet

The induced magnetism in the iron nails causes the reverse poles to form in the iron with the iron domain's induced north pole pointing in the direction of the south pole of the magnet and vice versa

The iron nail is then attracted to the magnet as like poles attract, thereby holding the iron nail in place with the cardboard in between, without direct contact between the nail and the magnet as the cardboard prevents the magnet from touching the iron nail held in place

Step-by-step explanation: