Which description best matches a fridge magnet?

Which description best matches a fridge magnet?

• A. A single small bar magnet
• B. Tiny horseshoe magnets lined up in alternating north and south poles
• C. A magnet that becomes magnetized only when heated
• D. A piece of metal that becomes magnetized permanently

Answer: (B)

Fridge magnets are built to provide a reliable, easy-to-handle magnetic grip on a metal surface. A strip or puck that uses many tiny magnets arranged with alternating poles along its length creates a surface with lots of small, strong pull points. Each tiny magnet contributes to the overall attraction, so the magnet as a whole sticks well to the fridge, even if you press at different spots. This kind of construction also makes the magnet flexible, inexpensive to produce, and effective for holding lightweight notes and decorative items. The other ideas don’t fit as well: a single small bar magnet could work, but many fridge magnets are made from several small magnets joined together to form a strip. A magnet that only becomes magnetized when heated isn’t how these devices operate, and a piece of metal that becomes magnetized permanently describes a material that isn’t itself a ready-made fridge magnet.

Fridge magnets are built to provide a reliable, easy-to-handle magnetic grip on a metal surface. A strip or puck that uses many tiny magnets arranged with alternating poles along its length creates a surface with lots of small, strong pull points. Each tiny magnet contributes to the overall attraction, so the magnet as a whole sticks well to the fridge, even if you press at different spots. This kind of construction also makes the magnet flexible, inexpensive to produce, and effective for holding lightweight notes and decorative items.

The other ideas don’t fit as well: a single small bar magnet could work, but many fridge magnets are made from several small magnets joined together to form a strip. A magnet that only becomes magnetized when heated isn’t how these devices operate, and a piece of metal that becomes magnetized permanently describes a material that isn’t itself a ready-made fridge magnet.