Magnets

Here is a trick question. Hold a magnet next to a copper coin. Does the coin fly toward the magnet? If you think the answer is yes because copper is a metal — you are about to unlearn a very common mistake. Magnets do not attract all metals. They are picky: they only pull certain materials toward them, and the PSLE marker knows exactly which ones students get wrong.

Parents: let your child predict whether each object in the sim is attracted before tapping to reveal. The "Predict first" gate makes sure they commit to a guess before seeing the answer — that is the single step that turns passive reading into real learning.

By the end you'll be able to name every magnetic material on the PSLE syllabus, explain what happens when poles meet, and never be tricked by a copper coin again. The four ideas we'll master are: magnetic materials, non-magnetic materials, north and south poles, and like poles repel, unlike poles attract.

Magnetic Materials

Bring a magnet close to an iron nail and watch what happens — the nail snaps toward the magnet as if pulled by an invisible hand. That pull is . Materials that a magnet attracts are called .

The PSLE syllabus has exactly four magnetic materials you need to know: iron, steel, nickel, and cobalt. Steel is an alloy that contains iron, which is why it is magnetic. A steel paperclip, an iron gate, the coins in an old MRT fare card slot — all magnetic.

Non-Magnetic Materials

Everything else is . Wood, plastic, rubber, glass — none of these will move toward a magnet. Here is where many students lose easy marks: copper and aluminium are metals, but they are NOT magnetic. A copper coin, an aluminium drink can, a brass padlock — hold a magnet next to them and nothing happens.

🤔 Predict first: You hold a magnet near an aluminium can. What happens?

Try the Magnet Experiment

This is the classroom experiment you might do with a real magnet and a tray of objects. Predict whether each object will be attracted, then bring it close to the magnet to find out.

Magnet experiment: attract or repel?

Predict first: Is a copper coin attracted to a magnet?

Notice: the iron nail and steel paperclip jump toward the magnet (magnetic materials). The plastic ruler, wood block, copper coin, and aluminium can stay where they are (non-magnetic materials).

North and South Poles

Every magnet has two ends, and these ends are called . One end is the north pole and the other is the south pole. The magnetic force is strongest at these two poles, and weakest in the middle of the magnet.

Here is the rule for when two poles come face to face:

Like poles (north facing north, or south facing south) repel each other — they push apart.
Unlike poles (north facing south) attract each other — they pull together.

You can feel this with two fridge magnets. Flip one around and notice the difference: one way they click together, the other way they push your hands apart no matter how hard you try to touch them. Switch back to Part B in the sim above to see this in action.

Watch out — these are easily mixed up

Quick recap

🎯 Mastery check

Answer all 8 — your progress is saved on this device.

Which of the following is a magnetic material?
A copper coin is placed near a magnet. What happens, and why?
You bring the north pole of one magnet close to the north pole of another magnet. What happens?
Where is the magnetic force of a bar magnet strongest?
Which pair of poles will attract each other?
A student wants to find out which objects in a mixed bag are magnetic. She uses a magnet to test each one. An aluminium spoon does not move. What does this tell her?
List the four magnetic materials on the PSLE syllabus.
Two fridge magnets stick together when you bring them close. What kind of poles are facing each other?