ScienceGrade 3

Can Gravity and Magnetism Act Without Touching

Some forces need touching (a kick, a push) — but distance forces work across a gap

Learning Objective

Students will learn that some forces — like gravity and magnetism — act on objects without touching them, that these "distance forces" are different from each other (gravity pulls everything with mass; magnetism pulls or pushes only certain metals through poles), and how to tell which invisible force is at work.

What You'll Learn

Gravity pulls every object toward Earth — it's why dropped things fall and why we stay on the ground
Magnetism pulls or pushes objects made of certain metals — iron, nickel, cobalt — and magnets can push OR pull depending on their poles
Gravity and magnetism are DIFFERENT forces: gravity pulls everything; a magnet only works on some metals and can repel
A magnet works through paper, your hand, even a table — the force crosses the gap
Earth's gravity is always on; a magnet's pull fades fast with distance

Words to Know

Distance force: A force that works on something without touching it; Gravity and magnetism are distance forces.
Gravity: The invisible force that pulls objects toward Earth; Gravity pulled my dropped pencil to the floor.
Magnetism: The invisible force a magnet uses to pull or push certain metals; Magnetism pulled the paperclip across the table.
Pole: One of the two ends of a magnet; The magnet's two poles decide if it pulls or pushes.
Repel: To push away without touching; Two matching poles repel each other like an invisible shove.
Attract: To pull toward without touching; Opposite poles attract and snap together.
Iron: A metal that magnets can grab; The iron nail jumped to the magnet, but the plastic spoon didn't move.

Check What You Learned

Quick Quiz

1 / 5

A ball falls when you drop it. Which force pulled it?

Fun Facts

Gravity is a force that pulls objects toward each other — Earth's gravity pulls objects toward the ground, which is why dropped objects fall
Source: NGSS 3-PS2-1 / NASA
Gravity acts on everything with mass — it is always on, and it works across enormous distances, even keeping the Moon in orbit around Earth
Source: NASA / physics textbooks
Magnets attract objects made of iron, nickel, or cobalt — and can do so without touching them, even through materials like paper, wood, or a table
Source: NGSS 3-PS2-3 / physics textbooks
Magnets have two poles — opposite poles attract (pull together) and like poles repel (push apart) without touching
Source: NGSS 3-PS2-3
A magnet's force fades quickly with distance — move a magnet too far from a paperclip and nothing happens
Source: physics textbooks
Gravity and magnetism are different forces: gravity only attracts and works on all mass; magnetism only affects certain metals and can both attract and repel
Source: NGSS / physics textbooks

Lesson Info

Grade 3

Standards Alignment

3-PS2-3
Ask questions to determine cause-and-effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other
3-PS2-1
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object
TEKS 3.7A
Demonstrate and describe forces acting on an object in contact or at a distance, including magnetism and gravity
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.3
Describe the relationship between a series of scientific ideas in a text — comparing how gravity and magnetism each act at a distance