Magnets KS2

Explore how magnets work, investigate magnetic forces and materials, and find clear, ready-to-teach KS2 activities to help your pupils understand this engaging science topic with confidence.

PlanBee Forces and Magnets Year 3 Forces Planning | PlanBee Science

Forces and Magnets - Lesson 3: Magnetic Forces

This Forces and Magnets Year 3 scheme of work is a great way to teach your KS2 Science class everything they need to know about forces and magnets! From pushes and pulls to uses for magnetic mater...

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In the lesson:

Teach your KS2 class about magnets with these three ready-to-teach Science lessons. In the first lesson, your class will be introduced to magnets, and learn how they can exert a force on certain objects without touching them. They will explore the different forces a magnetic field can exert, depending on which poles are facing each other. In the second lesson, children discuss and predict what other materials could be attracted to or repelled by magnets. They will test and record the results for a variety of objects made from different materials, and conclude what these materials have in common. In the third lesson, your class will focus on the uses of magnets, and conduct an investigation into magnet strength.

Each of these Magnets KS2 Science lessons include:

a detailed lesson plan with differentiated activities
a slideshow for the teaching input
a range of printable resources for independent learning activities

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Magnets KS2

What is a magnet?

A magnet is a metal object that produces a magnetic field.

How do magnets work?

Magnets have two ends, or poles - a north pole and a south pole. A magnetic field exists between these two poles, which attracts some other metals. This means that a magnet does not have to be touching an object to pull it.

Magnets can attract or repel one another:

When the different poles (north and south) of two bar magnets face each other, the magnetic lines of force are going in the same direction, and so the different poles attract each other.
However, when the same poles (north and north or south and south) of two bar magnets face each other, the lines of forces are going in different directions, so the same poles repel each other.

An easy way to remember this is with the phrase, 'opposites attract'.

Diagram showing the direction of the magnetic forces around bar magnets

The lines and arrows on these diagrams show the direction of the magnetic force around each bar magnet.

Magnetic and non-magnetic materials

Materials that are attracted to magnets are called magnetic. Magnetic materials are always made of metal, but not all metals are magnetic. Metals like iron, nickel and cobalt are magnetic. Steel contains iron, so it is also magnetic. Other metals such as aluminium, copper, silver and gold, are non-magnetic.

Materials that are not attracted to magnets are called non-magnetic. This includes materials such as wood, plastic, copper, paper, aluminium, rubber and stone.

To test whether a material is magnetic, simply put it next to the magnet to see if there is an attraction (a pull). If nothing happens, it means that the material is non-magnetic.

What are magnets used for?

Magnets can be used for many different uses. The strength of their magnetic attraction can determine their use.

Fridge magnets - these small magnets help to temporarily attach light-weight things to metal or magnetic surfaces such as a fridge or whiteboard. They work because magnetic force works through thin barriers.
Credit cards - data is stored in tiny magnets (thinner than a strand of hair). Special readers can read the poles of the magnets and translate this into information.
Fastenings and locks - bags, jewellery, phone cases and many more items are closed using magnets. Some locks even use a magnet as a key!
Compass - the Earth itself acts like a giant magnet. It’s not strong enough to attract most things, but the magnetised needle of a compass will align itself to the Earth’s magnetic field, pointing north.

Very strong magnets are used in:

Recycling and scrap yards - when recycling metals, it is important to separate them into the same kind of metal. Aluminium cans won’t be attracted to the magnet, but steel cans will!
Maglev trains - maglev (magnetic levitating) trains use the way magnets repel each other to push the train up off the tracks slightly, making it easy to move.
MRI machines - MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machines can generate images of the organs in the body. This helps doctors diagnose what is wrong with their patients.

A woman entering an MRI scanner

When do children learn about magnets?

According to the National Curriculum Science objectives, children learn about magnets in KS2. It is assigned as compulsory learning in Year 3 under the 'Forces and magnets' strand of learning.

In Year 3, children should learn to:

notice that some forces need contact between two objects, but magnetic forces can act at a distance
observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others
compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet, and identify some magnetic materials
describe magnets as having two poles
predict whether two magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing

The non-statutory guidance also suggests that pupils should explore the behaviour and everyday uses of different magnets.

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