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

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.

Managing time involves accurately predicting how much time it will take to do a task, and then setting aside that amount of time to complete it. Managing time is much more difficult than it may seem, which is why there are entire courses of study and research on the best approaches. But if you develop a method to undertake each component, you’ll be successful.

Using position-time graphs and number lines to find displacement and distance traveled.

This section introduces you to the realm of physics, and discusses applications of physics in other disciplines of study. It also describes the methods by which science is done, and how scientists communicate their results to each other.

Physics is a branch of science. The word science comes from a Latin word that means having knowledge, and refers the knowledge of how the physical world operates, based on objective evidence determined through observation and experimentation. A key requirement of any scientific explanation of a natural phenomenon is that it must be testable; one must be able to devise and conduct an experimental investigation that either supports or refutes the explanation. It is important to note that some questions fall outside the realm of science precisely because they deal with phenomena that are not scientifically testable. This need for objective evidence helps define the investigative process scientists follow, which will be described later in this chapter.

Worked examples finding displacement and distance from position-time graphs.