Could a Magnet Solve It? is a free printable Grade 3 science worksheet on using what magnets pull to decide whether a problem is one they could solve, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 3-PS2-4. It prints 3 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
1.Sort each one: A magnet could solve this or A magnet could not solve this?
Sort: Holding a note on a wooden door, Lifting a gold ring out of a drain, Finding a dropped steel needle in a rug, Lifting iron filings out of the sand tray
A magnet could solve thisA magnet could not solve this
2.Sort each one: A magnet could solve this or A magnet could not solve this?
Sort: Holding a note on a steel fridge door, Picking steel pins out of the grass, Sorting aluminum cans from plastic bottles, Holding a poster on a brick wall
A magnet could solve thisA magnet could not solve this
3.Sort each one: A magnet could solve this or A magnet could not solve this?
Sort: Finding a lost plastic toy in the sandpit, Sorting steel cans from aluminum cans, Picking glass beads out of the grass, Keeping a steel cupboard door shut
A magnet could solve thisA magnet could not solve this
LessonPrint · 3-PS2-4 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Could a Magnet Solve It?
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. Finding a dropped steel needle in a rug — A magnet could solve this 2. Holding a note on a wooden door — A magnet could not solve this 3. Lifting a gold ring out of a drain — A magnet could not solve this 4. Lifting iron filings out of the sand tray — A magnet could solve this
2.1. Holding a note on a steel fridge door — A magnet could solve this 2. Holding a poster on a brick wall — A magnet could not solve this 3. Picking steel pins out of the grass — A magnet could solve this 4. Sorting aluminum cans from plastic bottles — A magnet could not solve this
3.1. Finding a lost plastic toy in the sandpit — A magnet could not solve this 2. Keeping a steel cupboard door shut — A magnet could solve this 3. Picking glass beads out of the grass — A magnet could not solve this 4. Sorting steel cans from aluminum cans — A magnet could solve this
Questions about Could a Magnet Solve It?
What does the Could a Magnet Solve It? worksheet cover?
It practices using what magnets pull to decide whether a problem is one they could solve — 3 questions for Grade 3, all on NGSS 3-PS2-4: Define a problem that magnets could solve. The instruction to students is “Sort each problem into the right group”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does Could a Magnet Solve It? practice?
3-PS2-4, under Physical Science for Grade 3. The published performance expectation reads: “Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Could a Magnet Solve It? is written for Grade 3, typically ages 8-9. It is one of the sheets on 3-PS2-4, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Could a Magnet Solve It? come with an answer key?
Yes. All 3 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Could a Magnet Solve It? can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Could a Magnet Solve It? free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Could a Magnet Solve It?, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.