How does a magnet attract some metals but not others?

A magnet pulls some metals close, just like your favorite toy pulls you to play, but not all toys work that way.

Magnet is a special kind of object that can pull certain metals, like iron or steel. But if the metal is something else, like aluminum or copper, it won’t get pulled at all.

Imagine your toy box has two kinds of toys: ones with little magnets inside them and ones without. When you shake the box near a real magnet, only the toys with magnets inside will stick to it, the others just fall out like normal. That’s kind of what happens with metals.

Iron and steel are like those special toys, they have tiny bits that can talk to magnets. When a real magnet gets close, these tiny bits line up and say, “Pull me closer!” So the metal moves toward the magnet.

Aluminum or copper don’t have these little bits inside them. They’re more like plain toys, no magic, just ordinary playthings. So when a real magnet comes near them, they don't react and stay where they are.