Learn · Science · Class 1

Magnets

Magnets pull some metals, and push each other away.

6 parts
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What sticks to a magnet?🔩 nail — yes🥄 spoon — yes🧸 toy — noMagnets pull metal things made of iron.
A nail and a spoon stick. A toy does not.
🧩 The partsWhat does not stickPart 2 of 6
✏️ Worked exampleTwo magnets togetherPart 3 of 6
🔍 In detailMagnets do useful jobsPart 4 of 6
✅ SummaryMagnet master!Part 5 of 6
A magnet with iron filings clinging to it, and nothing else sticking at all. Photo: Maciej J. Mrowinski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A magnet with iron filings clinging to it, and nothing else sticking at all. Photo: Maciej J. Mrowinski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
1📘 DefinitionPart 1 / 6

A magnet pulls

A magnet can pull some things towards it without touching them.

It works on metal things made of iron.

🎯 Which will stick to a magnet?
2🧩 The partsPart 2 / 6

What does not stick

Wood, plastic, paper, cloth and glass do not stick to a magnet.

Not even all metals stick, only some.

🎯 Does a paper sheet stick to a magnet?
3✏️ Worked examplePart 3 / 6

Two magnets together

Two magnets can pull together.

Turn one around and they push apart. Try it!

🎯 Two magnets can pull together and also…
4🔍 In detailPart 4 / 6

Magnets do useful jobs

Magnets hold the fridge door shut.

They are inside speakers and in some toys.

🎯 A magnet holds shut the door of a…
5✅ SummaryPart 5 / 6

Magnet master!

  • Magnets pull iron things.
  • Wood and plastic do not stick.
  • Magnets can push each other away.
6✏️ Worked examplePart 6 / 6

Watch one worked through

Here is one done slowly, with the reason for every move. Then one for you.

Let me show you

You hold a magnet near a plastic spoon, a steel nail and a rubber band. Which one sticks?

  1. spoon = plastic nail = steel band = rubber
    Check what each one is made of: plastic, steel, rubber.
    A magnet does not care about shape or size, only about the material.
  2. magnet → iron ✓ steel ✓ magnet → plastic ✗ rubber ✗
    Magnets pull iron and steel. They do nothing to plastic or rubber.
    Only a few materials are magnetic. Most things around you are not.
  3. 🧲 + steel nail = sticks
    So only the steel nail sticks.
    Gold, silver, copper and aluminium are metals too, but a magnet ignores them. Metal does not mean magnetic.

Answer: The steel nail

Now you try

Will a magnet pick up a plastic ruler?

Show the answer

no

Practise Magnets

Everything on QuizByt for Class 1 Science that goes with this lesson: read it first, then test yourself while it is fresh.

🧠 3 quizzes on Magnets (3 easy)

Start easy straight after reading, while Magnets is fresh, and the score is kept against this topic.

🖨️ Printable worksheet

Magnets on paper for Class 1, with room to write the working out. Preview the first page free.

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