Final answer:
Magnets attract metals, especially ferromagnetic materials like iron, nickel, and cobalt, but they do not attract nonmetals such as plastic or wood. A magnet will align its north pole with Earth's magnetic north pole if it can rotate freely. Materials like plastic and wood aren't attracted because they don't have ferromagnetic properties.
Step-by-step explanation:
Magnets have the ability to attract certain types of materials, which are primarily metals. Specifically, magnets can attract metals like iron, nickel, and cobalt among others. These metals are known as ferromagnetic materials and exhibit strong magnetic effects. However, magnets do not attract nonmetals such as plastic or wood because these materials do not possess ferromagnetic properties.
If free to rotate, an elongated magnet will orient itself with its north pole facing the planet's magnetic north pole. This behavior is seen in a compass, which uses a magnetized needle to indicate the direction of magnetic north. It is important to note that while experimentation with different materials may show varying levels of attraction to magnets, only ferromagnetic materials are strongly attracted.
Practical experimentation, such as rubbing a magnet along a metal knitting needle, demonstrates how ferromagnetic materials can themselves be magnetized. Once magnetized, these materials can attract other ferromagnetic objects, like paper clips, due to their induced magnetic properties.