DISCOVERY OF MAGNET.

There is a very interesting legend behind the discovery of magnetism.
It is said that magnetism was discovered by a Greek shepherd named Magnes.
He found that the iron in his stick and the iron nails of his sandals had god stuck to a large rock on which he is standing .
This strange rock was named magnes lithos - the stone from Magnesia.
Its special feature was the ability to attract and lift small pieces of iron.
this ability is known as magnetism, and a material having this ability is known as a magnet.
Magnet lithos, which is a natural magnet, is also known magnetite.
It was also known as lodestone because of its attractive properties.
About 1100 years after the discovery of magnets, the Chinese discovered that when a piece of magnet was suspended freely, it always pointed in a particular direction .
This directive property of magnetite was very helpful to sailors, who used it to find directions while sailing.
Since it helped in leading the ships in the right direction,magnetite came to be known as the leading stone or lodestone.
This led to the invention of the mariner's compass.

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