Which things does a magnet pick up?
The question
Which objects and rocks stick to a magnet, and could a magnet help us find a meteorite?
Most meteorites contain iron metal, so a magnet sticks to them or tugs on them. Most ordinary rocks do not. Meteorite hunters often carry a magnet for this reason.
Equipment
- A fridge magnet or a classroom bar magnet
- A box of 15 to 20 everyday objects: spoons, coins, paperclips, foil, a pencil, a plastic toy, a cork
- A few pebbles and rocks from the garden
- Two sorting trays or hoops labelled "sticks" and "does not stick"
Method
- Guess first: put a tick on a picture list next to the things you think will stick.
- Touch the magnet against each object in turn and see if it sticks.
- Sort everything into the two trays.
- Try the rocks too. Most will not stick. If one does, look at it closely and ask an adult why it might contain iron.
- What to measure
- Count how many objects stick and how many do not, and how many of your guesses were right.
- How to present it
- A poster with two big circles, "sticks" and "does not stick", with drawings or photos of each object in the right circle, and a sentence saying what the sticking objects have in common.
- Take it further
- Find out whether every metal sticks. Try foil, a copper coin and a steel spoon: only some metals, such as iron and steel, are attracted. Then try the rock checker on the site with an adult.
Safety
Use a large magnet, not small round ones, which are dangerous if swallowed. Keep magnets away from phones and bank cards.