The pictures below show what happens when a wooden block and an iron nail are held near a compass and a magnet one at a time.

Question

needle does not move
needle moves

block does not stick
nail sticks

What conclusion best fits the observations in the pictures?
A.
A compass needle is not like a magnet because it is not moved by wood.
B.
A compass needle is not like a magnet because it is not moved by iron metal.
C.
A compass needle is like a magnet because it pulls on wood but not iron metal.
D.
A compass needle is like a magnet because it pulls on iron metal but not wood.

Answer 1

The best conclusion that fits the observations in the pictures is:

D. A compass needle is like a magnet because it pulls on iron metal but not wood.

This conclusion is based on the fact that the compass needle moves in response to the magnet, indicating that the magnetic field affects it, and the iron nail sticks to the magnet, showing that iron is attracted to magnetic forces. In contrast, the wooden block does not affect the compass needle or stick to the magnet, demonstrating that wood is not magnetic.