Brad and Brian must separate a mixture prepared by their teacher. She asks them which items in the container could be removed by using a magnet and why. The things they have are toothpicks, sand, pebbles, marbles, iron filings, paper clips, chocolate chips, broken crayons, and bits of notebook paper.

Which items can they remove with a magnet, and why?

Mindy needs to get iron filings out of a pile of sand, rice, and dirt in science class. The iron filings are tiny and fine so they blend in and disappear with the mixture. What would be the best tool to remove the filings from the sand?

Mrs. Harley wants to display a large wooden sign on her metal door to welcome students. She finds a small magnet and attempts to hang it up. The sign keeps sliding down the door.

What can Mrs. Harley do to solve this problem?

Which item relies on magnetism to solve problems for hikers?

Melissa needs to solve a common problem using magnets for a classroom project. How can she use magnets to solve a common problem?

Drew has a metal toy car, and he has been asked to steer it through a maze, but he is not allowed to touch it at all. Which object could he select to move the car through the maze without touching it?

Mrs. Addly wants to display her students' work on the metal door for other classes to see. She hangs up the work and uses magnets to keep it in place.

Why does this solution work?

Mrs. Allen always loses her glasses. She doesn't want to wear them on her head or around her neck, and she doesn't always have pockets to put her glasses in. They are made of metal. She has brick walls and a magnetic whiteboard in the classroom. What could she do to keep her glasses handy using a magnet to solve the problem?

Why are magnets beneficial for solving simple problems dealing with movement?

Gluing magnets onto the sides of salt and pepper shakers, so they don't get separated is a solution to a common problem.