Topics · Primary Science · Interactions: Magnets
Magnets: poles, attraction and repulsion
A magnet attracts only a few metals, has two poles that behave oppositely, and can act through a gap. Almost every question turns on one of those three facts.
- 392 exam papers analysed
- appears in 91% of P6 Science papers
- ~3 min read
01 What a magnet attracts
A magnet attracts magnetic materials only: iron, steel, nickel and cobalt. Steel counts because it is mostly iron.
It does not attract other metals. Copper, aluminium, gold and silver are metals and are not magnetic — this is the trap papers use most, because “metal” and “magnetic” feel like the same word.
It does not attract plastic, wood, glass, paper or rubber at all.
| Object | Metal? | Attracted to a magnet? |
|---|---|---|
| Iron nail | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steel paper clip | ✓ | ✓ |
| Copper wire | ✓ | ✗ |
| Aluminium foil | ✓ | ✗ |
| Plastic ruler | ✗ | ✗ |
02 Two poles, and the rule
Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole, and it always has both — you cannot have one on its own.
Unlike poles attract; like poles repel. North to south pulls together; north to north or south to south pushes apart.
Repulsion is the only proof. A magnet will attract a magnetic material and the opposite pole of another magnet, so attraction cannot tell you which you have. Only another magnet pushes back — so if two objects repel, both must be magnets.
03 Magnetic force acts through a gap
A magnet does not have to touch something to pull it. The force works through air, and through paper, plastic, glass and wood — which is why a magnet moves a paper clip through a table top.
The force is stronger when closer and weaker further away, and it is strongest at the poles — a paper clip placed at the middle of a bar magnet is barely held at all.
That gives the standard fair test: change the distance, measure whether the clip still moves, keep the magnet and the clip the same.
04 Making and losing magnetism
Making one: stroke a steel bar repeatedly in one direction with a magnet, or wind a coil of wire round it and pass an electric current through — an electromagnet.
An electromagnet can be switched off, which an ordinary magnet cannot, and made stronger with more current or more turns of wire. That is why cranes in scrapyards use them.
Losing it: hammering, dropping or heating a magnet weakens it. Storing magnets in pairs with unlike poles together helps them keep their strength.
05 How to say them
These are words most children have never said out loud, and a word you cannot say is a word you avoid using. Capitals mark the syllable you lean on. Tap the speaker to hear it.
- magneticsaymag-NET-ik
Attracted to a magnet. Only iron, steel, nickel and cobalt are.
- polemore than onepoles
One of the two ends of a magnet, where the force is strongest. Every magnet has a north and a south.
- attractsayuh-TRAKT
To pull towards. Unlike poles attract.
- repelsayri-PEL
To push away. Like poles repel, and repulsion is the only proof that both objects are magnets.
- electromagnetsayi-LEK-troh-mag-nuhtmore than oneelectromagnets
A magnet made by passing electricity through a coil of wire. It can be switched off.
- magnetic force
The push or pull a magnet exerts. It works through a gap and is strongest at the poles.
06 What each level is tested on
The same topic, asked differently as it goes up. The percentage is the share of papers at that level in which it appears.
- P3
Which materials a magnet attracts, and the two poles.
Practise P3 Interactions: Magnets — 10 questions →51% of P3 papers
- P4
Attraction and repulsion, and testing objects for magnetism.
Practise P4 Interactions: Magnets — 10 questions →69% of P4 papers
- P5
Making magnets, electromagnets, and the strength of the force with distance.
Practise P5 Interactions: Magnets — 9 questions →52% of P5 papers
- P6
Magnets in longer questions and fair tests, and using repulsion to identify a magnet.
Practise P6 Interactions: Magnets — 9 questions →91% of P6 papers
07 Mistakes worth knowing about
Each of these is wrong. Decide why before you open it.
“All metals are magnetic.”
Only iron, steel, nickel and cobalt. Copper, aluminium, gold and silver are metals and are not attracted at all.
“They attracted, so both must be magnets.”
Attraction also happens between a magnet and a plain iron nail. Only repulsion proves both are magnets.
“I cut the magnet in half to get a single north pole.”
Each piece becomes a whole magnet with both poles. A single pole cannot exist.
“The magnet has to touch the clip to move it.”
The force works through a gap, and through paper, plastic and wood. It is just weaker further away.
“The middle of a bar magnet is as strong as the ends.”
The force is strongest at the poles and weakest in the middle.
Now try it
38 questions across 4 levels, marked as you go with the working shown.