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Science Launch G3 / Week 03 / Tuesday
2/6
Week 03 · Magnet Mysteries

Tuesday

Poles that push and pull
// Pushes and pulls without touching
⏱ about 15 min

Tuesday: Poles That Push and Pull

Rocket holds two bar magnets end to end. They snap together. He flips one around and tries again.

This time the magnet slides away from his hand! "It is pushing back!" he gasps.

Raven reads the letters on the ends. "What do you notice about the N and the S?"

Nova shines a light on the ends. "Check which letters face each other each time," she says.

North and south poles

Every magnet has two ends called poles.

One end is the north pole. The other end is the south pole.

Opposite poles attract. North and south pull together.

Like poles repel. To repel means to push away.

Two north poles push apart. Two south poles push apart too.

Ends facing each otherWhat happens
North and southattract (pull together)
South and northattract (pull together)
North and northrepel (push apart)
South and southrepel (push apart)
ATTRACT OR REPEL?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
A north pole faces a south pole. What happens?
A south pole faces a south pole. What happens?
A north pole faces a north pole. What happens?
Opposite poles ____.
Like poles ____.
What word means push away?
WHY THIS EXERCISERepel means push away, like two north poles do.
Try it
If you have two magnets, hold them close.
Flip one around. Feel the pull change to a push.

Find the poles

Some magnets have N and S printed on the ends. Others do not.

You can still find the poles. Use a magnet that is labeled.

If an end is pulled toward the labeled N, it must be a south pole. Opposites attract.

If an end is pushed away from N, it is a north pole. Like poles repel.

POLE PUZZLES
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
An end of a mystery magnet is pulled toward a north pole. What pole is it?
An end of a mystery magnet is pushed away from a south pole. What pole is it?
Two magnets snap together. Which ends are facing?
StatementTrue or false?
Every magnet has a north pole and a south pole.?
Two south poles pull together.?
North and south poles attract.?
Repel means push away.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEOpposite poles attract and like poles repel.
HOW TO FIND A MYSTERY POLE
  • ?Hold a labeled magnet with N facing out.
  • ?Bring the mystery end close.
  • ?Feel if it pulls or pushes.
  • ?A pull means the mystery end is south.
WHY THIS EXERCISEA pull toward north means opposite poles, so the mystery end is south.
Two north poles face each other. Do they attract or repel?
WHY THIS EXERCISELike poles repel, so two north poles push apart.

Nice work, pole detective! Tomorrow you go on a magnet hunt around your home.

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