Magnets and Engineering Design
Grade 3 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the answer.
A class must design a gate latch that stays shut in wind but opens with a gentle pull. Which design fits best?
- a heavy rock in front of the gate
- strong glue on the gate
- two magnets with opposite poles facing, on the gate and the post
- two magnets with like poles facing
A sorting tool must lift at least 8 paper clips at once. Use the graph. Which magnets could be used?
- A, B and C
- A only
- B and C
- A and C
A recycling plant has steel and aluminum cans mixed. After a magnet lifts out the steel cans, what is left on the belt?
- the aluminum cans
- steel and aluminum cans
- no cans at all
- only steel cans
A magnet holds a sign through a door 1 cm thick but falls off a door 4 cm thick. What should the engineers try next?
- the same magnet with thicker wood
- a smaller magnet
- a stronger magnet or a thinner door
- two magnets with like poles facing
A student says magnetic force can pass through materials. Which test supports this?
- a magnet sticks to a steel desk
- a magnet moves a clip through a sheet of cardboard
- a magnet picks up a nail it touches
- two magnets push apart
Two magnets push apart. A student flips one magnet, and now they pull together. What does this show?
- magnets only pull, never push
- flipping makes a magnet stronger
- which poles face each other decides push or pull
- the magnet lost its pull
A balloon rubbed on wool bends a thin stream of water without touching it. Which other force also acts without touching?
- friction
- a push from a hand
- the pull of a rope
- magnetism
A bag of iron nails and wooden beads spilled together. Which plan separates them fastest?
- blow on the pile to move the nails
- shake the pile in water
- sweep a magnet over the pile to lift the nails
- pick out each bead by hand
A magnet latch on a cabinet is so strong that children cannot open it. Which change would help?
- make the door heavier
- use a weaker magnet or add a thin spacer
- use two stronger magnets
- turn the magnets so like poles face
Which test result shows that distance changes magnetic force?
- a clip sticks to two different magnets
- a clip moves the same at 1 cm and at 6 cm
- a clip jumps to the magnet at 1 cm but not at 6 cm
- a magnet sticks to a steel door


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