Metal Waste

Activity – Metal Identification

You will need

• 2 different types of foil and cans
• Other types of plastic, paper, and glass packaging
• Magnets
• Scales or balance

What to Do

• Sort items made of metal from other items.  Consider is it:
• Hard/soft
• Transparent/opaque
• Light/heavy
• Use a magnet to separate Aluminium cans from steel

Note:  Steel cans are magnetic

• Use the ‘scrunch’ test to identify Aluminium foil

Note:  Only Aluminium foil stays scrunched up

Investigate:  Why is Steel used for some cans and Aluminium for others?