What is the effect of rubbing a magnet along a needle multiple times?

• A. It charges the needle electrically
• B. It sharpens the needle
• C. It magnetizes the needle
• D. It flattens the needle

Answer: (C)

Rubbing a magnet along a needle aligns the magnetic domains inside the iron, turning the needle into a temporary magnet. The magnet’s field exerts influence on the tiny magnetic regions inside the needle so they line up in the same direction. With many strokes, more domains stay aligned, giving the needle a north and a south pole that will then align with Earth's magnetic field, acting like a compass.

This isn’t about electric charging, sharpening, or flattening the needle—those effects come from other processes, not magnetization. The magnetization can fade over time as thermal motion randomizes the domains again, but the basic idea is that the needle becomes magnetized through the repeated rubbing.