Lesson 6 of 8 · Energy

Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark Lab

What Magnets Do and Do Not Attract

🧪Lab Brief #6

What Magnets Do and Do Not Attract.

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.

🤯

Mind = Blown

⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where does the energy go?

What You'll Learn

Magnets attract iron, steel, nickel and cobalt. They do not attract aluminium, copper, gold, plastic or wood — so most coins, drinks cans and kitchen foil are not magnetic, even though they look metallic.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

bar magnet
assorted metal and non-metal objects
notebook

Safety First

Keep strong magnets away from phones, bank cards and anyone with a pacemaker.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Test twenty objects with a magnet and sort them into magnetic and non-magnetic. Note which metals surprised you and check what each is actually made of.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

Which metal is NOT attracted by a magnet?

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

🌍

Where you see this in real life

You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

🏆

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

🔬Share card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

Back

Ready?