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3rd Grade Magnets and Engineering Design worksheets

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Magnets and Engineering Design

Grade 3 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the answer.

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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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3rd Grade Magnets and Engineering Design worksheet 1 – printable PDF
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About this worksheet

Magnets and engineering design connect magnetic and electric forces with solutions to practical problems helps third graders connect observations with scientific explanations instead of memorizing isolated facts. Students may think magnets attract every metal, or that magnets must touch an object to move it. This worksheet uses short evidence-based situations so students must read the setup, identify the pattern, and choose the answer that fits the science idea named in the title. Students predict attraction and repulsion, test how distance and materials change magnetic force, compare static electricity with magnetism, and choose magnet designs for latches and sorters.

Support versions use familiar examples and direct wording. Standard and challenge versions add closer distractors and require more comparison. Encourage your child to point to the evidence in the prompt before choosing an answer. If the answer does not explain the observation or solve the stated problem, it is probably a distractor. That habit builds careful science reasoning and prepares students for longer investigations.

What your child will learn

  • Predict attraction and repulsion
  • Test distance and materials
  • Compare magnetic and electric forces
  • Solve design problems with magnets

NGSS standard: 3-PS2-3

Worked example

A magnet lifts steel cans but not aluminum cans, so a magnet on a conveyor belt can sort cans for recycling.

Common mistake

Assuming every metal is attracted to a magnet.

Helpful hint

Use the test result before choosing the design.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with magnets and engineering design?

Assuming every metal is attracted to a magnet.

How can I help my child with magnets and engineering design?

Use the test result before choosing the design.

Are these 3rd grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

Similar: Define Engineering Problems · Compare Engineering Solutions

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