We don't have much experience with magnetic forces in our everyday lives. Why not? The Earth has a magnetic field -- shouldn't it have some effect on cars, baseballs, dogs, and other common objects? Well, it does have an effect, but only a tiny one, for three reasons. First, the Earth's magnetic field is very weak. Second, a magnetic field exerts forces only on objects which have some electric charge; but almost every ordinary item is neutral. Finally, even electrically charged objects must be moving through a magnetic field at relatively high speeds in order to experience signficant magnetic forces. Familiar situations just don't have what it takes to exhibit magnetic forces clearly.