Magnets Pull Without Touching, Read and Answer

Try the paper clip and cup of water test from the page together with a fridge magnet. Then ask your child to point out one contact force and one noncontact force in the room.

Read how a magnet pulls a paper clip across a gap, through paper and through water. A gap is an empty space between two things. The directions on the page read: Read the passage. Then, turn the page and answer the questions. On page 2: Circle the letter of the best answer for questions 1 to 3, and write the answers to questions 4 to 6 on the lines. The answer key covers the questions on page 2.

Yes, both. We made it for 3rd Grade electricity and magnetism, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with contact and non-contact forces. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

This topic teaches students that not all forces require objects to touch, gravity pulls a falling apple even before it hits the ground, and magnets attract metal objects across a gap. Third graders sort familiar forces into contact and non-contact categories, identify examples in everyday life, and explain the key difference between the two types. The concept provides an important organizing framework for all force and motion learning in Grade 3 and beyond.

Contact and non-contact forces is typically introduced early in the Grade 3 forces and motion unit as a foundational organizing concept. At ages 8-9, students benefit from having a clear category structure before they dive into specific forces like gravity, friction, and magnetism. Understanding this distinction makes it easier to analyze new force examples they encounter throughout the year.

Ask your child to walk through a room and find five examples of forces in action, then classify each as contact or non-contact using the worksheet vocabulary. The sorting and classification activities are straightforward enough for independent practice, while the open-response questions benefit from a brief conversation first. Making the connection to real experiences your child has every day, opening a door, picking up a toy, grounds the science in something concrete and familiar.

3 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 3rd Grade students, roughly ages 8-9. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.