Pushes and Pulls Without Touching
Aligned to 3-PS2-3 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Magnets and static electricity can push or pull things without touching them. The closer the objects get, the stronger the pull can feel.
Worked examples
Example 1
A refrigerator magnet snaps onto the metal door even before it touches, because the magnet pulls across a tiny gap.
Example 2
Rub a balloon on your hair and it will pick up bits of paper from the table without touching them first.
Example 3
Gravity also works at a distance. A dropped ball falls even though nothing is touching it and pushing it down.
Practice questions
- Slowly move a magnet toward a paperclip and watch at what distance the clip jumps.
- Rub a balloon on your hair, then hold it near small paper bits and observe what happens.
- Ask why the clip moves without being touched and write your best cause-and-effect idea.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Empujar y jalar sin tocar
Los imanes y la electricidad estática pueden empujar o jalar cosas sin tocarlas. Mientras más cerca están los objetos, más fuerte se puede sentir el jalón.
Ejemplo 1: Un imán de refrigerador se pega a la puerta de metal antes de tocarla, porque el imán jala a través de un pequeño espacio.
Ejemplo 2: Frota un globo en tu cabello y levantará pedacitos de papel de la mesa sin tocarlos primero.
Ejemplo 3: La gravedad también actúa a distancia. Una pelota que sueltas cae aunque nada la esté tocando ni empujando hacia abajo.
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