Big draw

Push comes to pull as children make investigations into magnetism. Linda Thornton and Pat Brunton explain how Magnets and magnetism are features of modern life that we often take for granted. Magnets are used in every home - in simple fridge magnets, as catches on cupboard doors and in the rubber-coated magnetic strip that holds the freezer door shut. You may have a phone case, handbag or necklace that uses magnetism to keep it shut. Magnetism is used to record data on swipe cards, video and audio tapes, to sort cans in recycling centres and to move crushed vehicles around...