Share with Your Students

Name Date
Vocabulary
magnet a material that attracts steel,
iron, cobalt, and nickel
magnetite a mineral that is naturally
Magnets come in many shapes and
sizes. Materials that contain iron, steel,
nickel, and cobalt are attracted to, or
pulled toward, a magnet. Magnets also
attract the mineral magnetite and other
magnets. Materials that are attracted to
a magnet are described as magnetic.
Copyright Houghton Mifin Company. All Rights Reserved.
What Is a Magnet?
STUDENT RESOURCE 1.1
INFORMATION SHEET 1. Make copies of Student Resource 1.1, Vocabulary, and
magnetic
distribute to students. Discuss the denitions with
Magnetite contains iron and is a
weak magnet. Early explorers used students as terms come up throughout the section.
magnetite to nd north. Magnetite is
sometimes called lodestone.
2. Ask: What is a magnet? (a material that attracts steel,
iron, cobalt, and nickel) Survey the class to nd out how
many students have used magnets. Discuss how the
magnets are used. (Likely responses will include use of
magnets to hold items on a refrigerator.) Ask: What
happens as the magnet is brought near a refrig-

erator door? (It is pulled toward the door.) Explain

that this pull is a force of attraction. Ask: What is a
force? (a push or a pull) Point out that magnets ex-
ert forces on objects even when they arent touching.
Thats because magnetic force acts even at a distance.

MAGNETS AND ELECTROMAGNETISM SECTION 1 WHAT IS A MAGNET? 9

Student Resource 1.1 (p. 9)

What Materials Do
Magnets Attract?
Name Date

STUDENT RESOURCE 1.2

Testing for Magnetic Attraction ACTIVITY SHEET

1 Read the list of materials in the table. Predict which

materials the magnet will attract. Write Yes or No in the
Prediction column.

Metal Sample Prediction Test Result

20 minutes Pairs
Attracted to Magnet? Attracted to Magnet?

aluminum foil Predictions may vary. no

Objectives
brass brad no

(copper and zinc) no

Students predict what materials a magnet will attract and then test
penny

iron rivet yes

their predictions.
magnetite rock yes
Students identify materials that are attracted to a magnet.
silver no

steel nail no Materials

Copyright Houghton Mifin Company. All Rights Reserved.

steel paper clip yes

For the class
2 Test each material with the magnet. In the Test Result
column, write Yes if the material is attracted to the magnet.
Write No if the material is not attracted to the magnet. 2 pc. aluminum foil 2 paper clips
Conclusions 2 brass brads 2 *pennies
3 Which metals were attracted to the magnet?

Iron and steel were attracted to the magnet.

16 index cards 16 plastic trays
4 What metals were not attracted to the magnet? 2 pc. magnetite 2 rivets, iron
aluminum, brass, copper-zinc, silver
16 magnets, ferrite 2 silver jewelry or other
10 MAGNETS AND ELECTROMAGNETISM SECTION 1 WHAT IS A MAGNET? 1 *marker objects
66023.Sec04pg009_011 .indd 10 9/4/05 2:09:30 PM
2 nails *Not provided in kit
Student Resource 1.2 (p. 10)
4 EXPERIENCE SCIENCE
What Materials Do Magnets Attract? (continued)
A Ferrite magnet
Teaching Tip
Step 3: Never place magnets
near audio or video tapes, dis-
kettes, TVs, VCRs, computers, or
other magnetic media.
Student Resource Inquiry Focus
1.2 Testing for Magnetic Predict
Attraction
In Advance
Place one sample of each material to be tested in a separate plastic
tray. Make two trays for each item. Use an index card to label the
type of metal found on each tray:
aluminum foil: aluminum
brass brad: brass
iron: iron rivet
magnetite rock
nail: steel
paper clip: steel
penny: copper and zinc
silver jewelry (or other object): silver
Set up 16 stations around the room, each containing one tray.
1. Discuss what kinds of materials are attracted to
magnets.
Ask: What kinds of materials are attracted to mag-
nets? (Students may say that metals are attracted to
magnets. Accept all answers for now.) Tell students that
they will conduct some experiments to nd out.
2. Distribute the Student Resource and have
students make predictions.
Make copies of Student Resource 1.2, Testing for
Magnetic Attraction, and distribute to students. Have
students read the list of metals in the table and then
ll out the Prediction column.
3. Prepare students to test materials.
Provide each pair with a ferrite magnet. Tell students
they will be moving around the room to test their
predictions. Explain that they should test the metal at
each station with the magnet. If the metal is attracted
to (pulled toward) the magnet, they should write Yes in
the Test Result column of the table. If the metal is not
attracted to the magnet, they should write No.
SECTION 1 WHAT IS A MAGNET? 5
What Materials Do Magnets Attract? (continued)

4. Discuss students observations.

Teaching Tip
Step 4: You might explain that
pennies today are made of copper
and zinc. Neither is attracted by
a magnet. Prior to 1982 pennies
were made entirely of copper.
Ask: What metals did the magnet attract? (iron
and steel) Remind students that only certain metals
are magnetic, or attracted to a magnet. These include
iron, cobalt, nickel, and steel. Point out that steel is a
blend of materials that includes iron and carbon. Ask:
Did the magnet attract the magnetite? (yes) Why?
(Magnetite is naturally magnetic.) Tell students that
magnetite contains iron, a metal that is magnetic.

Assessment
Ask: Would a steel rod be attracted to the
magnet? Why or why not? (Yes. Magnets attract
materials made of steel.)

Is Cereal Magnetic?
10 minutes Teacher
Demonstration
Objectives
Students observe that some cereals contain iron.

Materials Inquiry Focus

For the teacher Observe
*breakfast cereals
(including Whole Grain
Total)
1 magnet, cow
1 *overhead projector
1 Petri dish
*water
*Not provided in kit

6 EXPERIENCE SCIENCE
Is Cereal Magnetic? (continued)

1. Set up materials.
Place a Petri dish on an overhead projector. Carefully ll
the Petri dish with water.

2. Students make observations.

Break apart some of the pieces of cereal that are NOT
Total and not high in iron. Float these pieces on the
Cow magnet water in the Petri dish. Turn on the projector. Hold the
cow magnet near a piece of the cereal without touch-
ing it. Tell students to observe the cereal as you move
the magnet toward the edge of the Petri dish. (The
cereal piece will not be pulled.) Now repeat with small
pieces of the Whole Grain Total akes. (The ake
pieces are pulled by the magnet.) Turn off the projector.

A Using a magnet to attract the iron 3. Discuss students observations.

in cereal Show students the Nutrition Facts label of the Total
cereal box. Explain that this label tells buyers what
nutrients are in the cereal and the amounts of these
nutrients in one serving. Ask a volunteer to read aloud
Teaching Tip each of the nutrients listed. Ask: Which nutrient is
Step 2: Tell students that ranch- attracted to a magnet? (iron) Explain that the cereal
ers use a device to insert a cow akes contain iron, a nutrient needed by humans in
magnet into the rst of a cows their diet. Repeat the experiment using other cereals
four stomachs. The magnet at- students brought in.
tracts small pieces of wire that
enter the cows feed from bales of
hay. When food eaten by the cow
Assessment
Ask: Why were the akes of cereal attracted
moves into the next stomach, the
to the magnet? (The iron in the cereal is attracted to the
pieces of wire remain behind.
magnet; it is magnetic.)

Extension
Seeing Iron in Cereal
Pour a cup of Total cereal akes into a blender with two
cups of milk. Holding one end of the cow magnet against
the blender vessel, turn on the blender for 30 seconds. Tell
students to closely observe the area of the blender nearest
the magnet. (Black particles can be seen near where the
magnet is located.) Remove the magnet quickly and have
students observe what happens. (The black particles fall
to the bottom of the blender.) Tell students that the black
particles are pieces of iron that separated out of the cereal
as it was blended.

SECTION 1 WHAT IS A MAGNET? 7

 Section Assessment
Name Date Materials Student Resource
Section 1 Assessment STUDENT RESOURCE 1.3
ASSESSMENT SHEET
For each station 1.3 Section 1 Assessment
Vocabulary
1 magnet, ferrite
1 What is a magnet?

a material that attracts iron, steel, cobalt, and nickel 1 plastic tray containing one
aluminum foil, brass brad,
Magnetic Attraction
2 A student uses a magnet to nd out which nail is iron and
iron rivet, and paper clip
which nail is aluminum. Which drawing shows the aluminum
nail? Circle your answer.

1. Set up enough materials stations around the room to

allow one-third of the class to work alone at a station
during the hands-on portion of the assessment.
Copyright Houghton Mifin Company. All Rights Reserved.

2. Make copies of Student Resource 1.3, Section 1

Identifying Magnetic Materials
Assessment, and distribute to students.
Test each material in the tray to see if it is attracted to the
magnet. Write Yes next to each material the magnet attracts.
Write No next to each material the magnet does not attract. 3. Divide the class into three groups. While one group is
3 no aluminum foil

4 no brass brad
working at the stations to complete the hands-on
5 yes rivet
portion of the assessment, the other two groups can be
6 yes paper clip

7 Which objects contain iron, steel, cobalt, or nickel? completing the top part of the assessment. Rotate the
rivet and paper clip groups through the stations until each has completed
MAGNETS AND ELECTROMAGNETISM SECTION 1 WHAT IS A MAGNET? 11
the hands-on portion of the assessment.
Student Resource 1.3 (p. 11)
4.Discuss the answers as a whole-class activity.

8 EXPERIENCE SCIENCE