Cbeon? an> Haturc ot flfcaanetfsm. 27 



Now, if we make a helix, or coil, of insulated 

 wire and put a piece of iron into it, and pass 

 a current of electricity through the helix, the 

 iron becomes a magnet. Why? Because the 

 electric current has the power to break up 

 molecular magnetic rings and turn all 

 their like poles in one direction, so that their 

 attractions are no longer satisfied among them- 

 selves, and with a combined effort they reach 

 outside and attract any piece of iron that is 

 within reach. In this state we say it is mag- 

 netized. Most people think that we have put 

 something into the iron, but we have not; we 

 have only developed and made active its in- 

 herent power. It must be kept in mind that 

 it takes power to develop this magnetic power 

 from its state of neutrality and that something 

 is never made from nothing. When this 

 power is developed it will do work in falling 

 hack to its natural state. The power is nat- 

 ural to the molecules of the metal. It is only 

 hcing exerted in a new direction. The millions 

 of little natural nagnets have been forced to 

 combine their attractions into one whole and 

 exert it on something outside of themselves. 

 They are under a strain in this condition, like 

 t bow, and there is a tendency to fly back 

 to tin- natural portion, and if it is soft iron 

 and not steel, they will fly hack as soon as the 

 power that wrcnclicd them apart and i^ holding 

 them apart is taken away. This power is the 



