Magnetic or Not?
Which things stick to a magnet? Make your guesses, sort everyday objects into two bins, then test them with the magnet. Some of the coins might surprise you!
- Sorted
- 0 / 15
- Correct
- Press Check
- On the magnet
- 0
- Tested
- 0 / 15
The rules
Magnetic metals: iron, nickel and cobaltSteel is mostly iron, so most steel sticksAluminium, copper, brass, gold, silver: no pullCoins: it depends what is inside!Guess first: drag each object into a bin, press Check, then test them with the magnet. Which coin tricked you?
How it works
Only a few metals are magnetic: iron, nickel and cobalt. Steel is mostly iron, so paper clips, nails and most steel spoons jump onto a magnet. Other metals, like aluminium, copper and brass, are not magnetic at all, and neither are plastic, wood, glass or rubber.
Coins are tricky because they are often made of one metal covered in another. A new UK 10p is steel with a thin coat of nickel, and a 1 euro cent is steel coated with copper, so both stick. A US nickel is mostly copper, so it doesn't. Some stainless steel isn't magnetic either, because the nickel mixed into it changes how its iron atoms line up.
Try this
- Sort every object into a bin before you test anything. How many did you get right?
- Which object looks like copper but is really magnetic?
- Is every metal magnetic? Find three metals that are not.