Magnet
Forces and Motion | Electricity and Magnetism

Which are magnetic?

Teaching Guidance for 5-11 11-14 Supporting Physics Teaching

Not all metals are magnetic

Wrong Track: All metals are magnetic, magnets will stick to any metal!

Right Lines: Most metals are not magnetic. The most common magnetic metals are iron, steels with a high iron content, nickel and cobalt.

Metals as electrical conductors

Thinking about the learning

The classification of materials into electrical conductors and insulators in primary school suggests to children that metals are special when it comes to electricity. It is not therefore surprising that the same classification is transferred in children's thinking to the topic of magnetism. Metals are expected to be magnetic and non-metals are expected to be non-magnetic.

Magnet
can be analysed using Magnetic Field
IOP AWARDS 2025

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