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Two ends of a magnet

Electricity and magnetism · level 1, lesson 2 of 6

A question to start

Take two bar magnets. Push one end of each together, then turn one magnet round and try again. What changes?

The idea

Every magnet has two ends, called poles: a north pole and a south pole. They are often painted different colours, or marked N and S.

  • A north pole and a south pole pull together.
  • Two north poles push apart. So do two south poles.

The pull or push is strongest close to the poles, and it gets weaker as the magnets move apart.

NSNS NSSN S faces N: they pull togetherS faces S: they push apart

Worked examples

1. Pull together. Hold the north end of one magnet near the south end of another. They snap together.

2. Push apart. Turn one magnet round so two north ends face. You feel them push, and the loose magnet may spin round.

3. Floating rings. Ring magnets on a pencil, with like poles facing, float one above the other: each pushes the next one up.

Try it

  1. What are the two ends of a magnet called?
  2. Do a north pole and a south pole pull or push?
  3. Do two south poles pull or push?
  4. A magnet's labels have rubbed off. How could you find its north pole using a magnet that is marked?
Answers
  1. Poles: north and south.
  2. They pull together.
  3. They push apart.
  4. Bring the marked north pole near one end. If they push apart, that end is a north pole.

Common mistake

"The middle of a magnet is the strongest part." The pull is strongest at the poles. A paper clip hardly sticks to the middle of a bar magnet.

Where it leads