Chapter 1 of 8

All 8 chapters
  1. 1What magnets pull, readunderstood
  2. 2North and south poles, readunderstood
  3. 3Magnetic force through things, readunderstood
  4. 4Making a compass, readunderstood
  5. 5Electricity: safe and unsafe, readunderstood
  6. 6A simple circuit, readunderstood
  7. 7Conductors, insulators and switches, readunderstood
  8. 8Circuit drawings, readunderstood

S2.8.1 Chapter 1

What magnets pull

What does a magnet pull?

Your guess

Pick one before you read on. It is fine to be wrong.

Your guess

  • You picked A. Read on. At the end, the chapter comes back to your guess.

  • You picked B. Read on. At the end, the chapter comes back to your guess.

  • You picked C. Read on. At the end, the chapter comes back to your guess.

By the end you can

  • Test which objects a magnet pulls and which it does not
  • Explain that magnets attract iron and steel but not copper or aluminium

A small magnet may stick to a metal door. Does it stick to everything?

A magnet is a thing that pulls some other things toward it. To attract means to pull close.

A thing that a magnet pulls is magnetic. Iron is magnetic. Steel is magnetic. Steel is iron mixed with other things.

Most nails and paper clips are iron or steel. A magnet pulls them. Two other metals, nickel and cobalt, are magnetic too.

Two columns of boxes. The left column is headed pulled and holds the shaded boxes iron, steel, nickel and cobalt. The right column is headed not pulled and holds the plain boxes copper and aluminium.pulledironsteelnickelcobaltnot pulledcopperaluminium
The shaded metals are pulled. The plain ones are not.

Draw it first

Draw what a magnet pulls

  1. A magnet, labelled magnet, in the middle. On the left, a nail and a clip, labelled nail and clip, have arrows pointing to the magnet. Between them is the word pulled. On the right, wood and foil, labelled wood and foil, have no arrows. Between them is the label not pulled.magnet

    1 Draw a magnet in the middle. Write magnet.

  2. A magnet, labelled magnet, in the middle. On the left, a nail and a clip, labelled nail and clip, have arrows pointing to the magnet. Between them is the word pulled. On the right, wood and foil, labelled wood and foil, have no arrows. Between them is the label not pulled.magnetnailclippulled

    2 On the left, draw a nail and a clip. Draw arrows to the magnet. Write pulled.

  3. A magnet, labelled magnet, in the middle. On the left, a nail and a clip, labelled nail and clip, have arrows pointing to the magnet. Between them is the word pulled. On the right, wood and foil, labelled wood and foil, have no arrows. Between them is the label not pulled.magnetnailclippulledwoodfoilnot pulled

    3 On the right, draw wood and foil. Draw no arrows. Write not pulled.

A magnet does not pull wood, paper, plastic or cloth. It does not pull glass.

Some metals are not magnetic. Copper is not. Aluminium is not. Cooking foil is aluminium. A magnet does not pull it.

See it three ways

As a picture

Four rows. Each row has a card and a word. The cards labelled iron and steel are shaded with lines, and the word beside them is pulled. The cards labelled copper and aluminium are plain, and the word beside them is not pulled.ironpulledsteelpulledcoppernot pulledaluminiumnot pulled

In words

A magnet pulls iron and steel. It does not pull copper or aluminium. All four are metals.

To test a thing, hold a magnet close to it. If the thing jumps to the magnet or sticks, it is magnetic.

A magnet, labelled magnet, on the left. A dashed line separates it from a phone and a card, labelled phone and card, on the right. Under them are the words keep apart.magnetphonecardkeep apart
Keep a magnet apart from a phone and a card.

Try it

Which things does a magnet pull?

You need: a magnet, or a fridge magnet, a nail, a paper clip, a piece of wood, a piece of paper, a piece of cooking foil, a cloth.

Be safe: Keep the magnet away from phones and bank cards. Never put a magnet or a nail in your mouth. If you have no magnet, look at the result picture.

  1. Put the things in a row on a table.
  2. Hold the magnet close to the first thing. Does it jump or stick?
  3. Test each thing in turn.
  4. Sort them into two piles: pulled and not pulled.

What you will see: The nail and the clip stick to the magnet. The wood, paper, foil and cloth do not. Foil is metal, but it is not pulled. A few steel things, such as some pots, may not be pulled. Test each one.

If you cannot try it, this is what happens.
Two rows. In the first row, a magnet, labelled magnet, has a nail and a clip stuck to it, labelled nail and clip. Under it are the words sticks. In the second row, a magnet is on the left. Apart from it are wood, paper and foil, labelled wood, paper and foil. Under it are the words does not stick.magnetnailclipsticksmagnetwoodpaperfoildoes not stick

A wrong idea many people have

A magnet pulls all metals.

Why it feels right: Nails, pins and clips are metal, and a magnet pulls them.

The test that breaks it: Find cooking foil or a piece of copper wire. Both are metal. Hold the magnet close to each one. Nothing moves. Now hold it to a nail. The nail jumps.

What is true: A magnet pulls iron and steel. It does not pull copper or aluminium, even though they are metals.

Key words

magnet
a thing that pulls iron and steel toward it.
attract
to pull close.
magnetic
pulled by a magnet.

Back to your guess

The answer is B: Only some things, like iron and steel.

A magnet pulls iron and steel. It does not pull wood, paper or plastic. It does not pull every metal.

Check yourself

Try each one before you look. A wrong answer tells you where to go next.

  1. Which of these will a magnet pull?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. Wood is not magnetic. A magnet pulls only a few kinds of things. Try another.

    2. Not this one. Copper is a metal, but it is not magnetic. A magnet does not pull every metal. Try another.

    3. Yes, that is right. Steel is magnetic. Wood and copper are not.

    See the answer

    A steel paper clip

    Steel is magnetic. Wood and copper are not.

    • If you chose A: Wood is not magnetic. A magnet pulls only a few kinds of things.
    • If you chose B: Copper is a metal, but it is not magnetic. A magnet does not pull every metal.

  2. Amina says a magnet pulls every metal. Is she right?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Yes, that is right. A magnet pulls iron and steel, nickel and cobalt. Copper and aluminium are metals that it does not pull.

    2. Not this one. Foil is aluminium and wire is often copper. A magnet does not pull either. Try another.

    3. Not this one. A bigger magnet does not change which things are magnetic. Try another.

    See the answer

    No. It does not pull copper or aluminium.

    A magnet pulls iron and steel, nickel and cobalt. Copper and aluminium are metals that it does not pull.

    • If you chose B: Foil is aluminium and wire is often copper. A magnet does not pull either.
    • If you chose C: A bigger magnet does not change which things are magnetic.

  3. Which pair will a magnet not pull?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. Iron and steel are the things a magnet pulls. Try another.

    2. Yes, that is right. Both are metals, but neither is magnetic.

    3. Not this one. The steel nail is pulled. Only the wood is not. Try another.

    See the answer

    Copper wire and aluminium foil

    Both are metals, but neither is magnetic.

    • If you chose A: Iron and steel are the things a magnet pulls.
    • If you chose C: The steel nail is pulled. Only the wood is not.

  4. What does attract mean?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. Attract means to pull close. Push away is the opposite. Try another.

    2. Not this one. Attract has nothing to do with heat. It means to pull close. Try another.

    3. Yes, that is right. A magnet attracts iron and steel. It pulls them close.

    See the answer

    To pull close

    A magnet attracts iron and steel. It pulls them close.

    • If you chose A: Attract means to pull close. Push away is the opposite.
    • If you chose B: Attract has nothing to do with heat. It means to pull close.

  5. Sort these into pulled and not pulled. Iron nail, wooden stick, steel clip, plastic comb, aluminium foil.

    See the answer

    Pulled: iron nail, steel clip. Not pulled: wooden stick, plastic comb, aluminium foil.

    A magnet pulls iron and steel. It does not pull wood, plastic or aluminium.

  6. Look at the picture. Why does the foil stay where it is?

    A magnet, labelled magnet, in the middle. On the left a nail, labelled nail, has jumped to the magnet, with an arrow toward it, labelled pulled. On the right a piece of foil, labelled foil, has no arrow and is labelled not pulled. Labels: magnet, nail, foil, pulled, not pulled.magnetnailfoilpullednot pulled
    Tap your answer.

    1. Not this one. Foil is a metal. It is aluminium. Not every metal is magnetic. Try another.

    2. Not this one. Weight does not decide it. A magnet can pull a light steel pin. It does not pull heavy copper. Try another.

    3. Not this one. A stronger magnet does not change which things are magnetic. Foil is still not pulled. Try another.

    4. Yes, that is right. A magnet pulls iron and steel. Aluminium is a metal that it does not pull.

    See the answer

    Foil is aluminium, a metal that is not magnetic.

    A magnet pulls iron and steel. Aluminium is a metal that it does not pull.

    • If you chose A: Foil is a metal. It is aluminium. Not every metal is magnetic.
    • If you chose B: Weight does not decide it. A magnet can pull a light steel pin. It does not pull heavy copper.
    • If you chose C: A stronger magnet does not change which things are magnetic. Foil is still not pulled.

  7. Kofi holds a magnet near a thing. The thing jumps to the magnet. What does this show?

    Tap your answer.

    1. Yes, that is right. Only magnetic things jump to a magnet. Iron and steel are magnetic.

    2. Not this one. Copper and aluminium are metals. They do not jump to a magnet. Try another.

    3. Not this one. A magnet pulls iron and steel that are not magnets. The thing may be a magnet, but it need not be. Try another.

    See the answer

    The thing is magnetic. It may be iron or steel.

    Only magnetic things jump to a magnet. Iron and steel are magnetic.

    • If you chose B: Copper and aluminium are metals. They do not jump to a magnet.
    • If you chose C: A magnet pulls iron and steel that are not magnets. The thing may be a magnet, but it need not be.

Keep it

Copy this into your exercise book.

A magnet pulls iron and steel. It also pulls nickel and cobalt. It does not pull wood, paper, plastic, copper or aluminium. Not every metal is magnetic.

Draw: A magnet. A nail that sticks to it. A piece of wood that does not. Label them.

Reading with a child? A short page for the adult: what this chapter teaches and three questions to ask.

No internet tomorrow? Save the whole book as one file (707 KB). It opens on any phone.