Why does a magnet stick to the fridge?
For grown-ups: the science
A magnet sticks because many fridge doors contain steel, which has iron that a magnet can pull.
Most refrigerator doors have a steel panel beneath the painted or coated outer surface. A permanent magnet's magnetic field induces alignment of magnetic domains in nearby ferromagnetic steel, creating an attractive force. Some modern refrigerator doors use nonmagnetic materials, so magnets may not stick everywhere.
What about...?
Ask your child's own question
Transcript
Look at the shiny fridge door in the kitchen. Why does a magnet stick to it?
Many fridge doors have steel inside their outer skin. Steel contains iron, a metal that magnets can pull.
A magnet has a special push-and-pull force around it. Near iron, that force makes tiny parts of the steel line up.
The lined-up steel is pulled toward the magnet. That pull holds the magnet right on the fridge door.
So that's why a magnet sticks to many fridges: steel inside the door is pulled by the magnet.