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📚 College Physics 2e
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1 Introduction: The Nature of Science and Physics2 Kinematics3 Two-Dimensional Kinematics4 Dynamics: Force and Newton's Laws of Motion5 Further Applications of Newton's Laws: Friction, Drag, and Elasticity6 Uniform Circular Motion and Gravitation7 Work, Energy, and Energy Resources8 Linear Momentum and Collisions9 Statics and Torque10 Rotational Motion and Angular Momentum11 Fluid Statics12 Fluid Dynamics and Its Biological and Medical Applications13 Temperature, Kinetic Theory, and the Gas Laws14 Heat and Heat Transfer Methods15 Thermodynamics16 Oscillatory Motion and Waves17 Physics of Hearing18 Electric Charge and Electric Field19 Electric Potential and Electric Field20 Electric Current, Resistance, and Ohm's Law21 Circuits and DC Instruments22 Magnetism23 Electromagnetic Induction, AC Circuits, and Electrical Technologies24 Electromagnetic Waves25 Geometric Optics26 Vision and Optical Instruments27 Wave Optics28 Special Relativity29 Quantum Physics30 Atomic Physics31 Radioactivity and Nuclear Physics32 Medical Applications of Nuclear Physics33 Particle Physics34 Frontiers of Physics
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22.1 Magnets

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Describe the difference between the north and south poles of a magnet.
  • Describe how magnetic poles interact with each other.
Bar magnets, horseshoe magnets, and disc-shaped magnets attract and repel each other. Metal paperclips stick to some of the magnets.
Figure 22.3 Magnets come in various shapes, sizes, and strengths. All have both a north pole and a south pole. There is never an isolated pole (a monopole).

All magnets attract iron, such as that in a refrigerator door. However, magnets may attract or repel other magnets. Experimentation shows that all magnets have two poles. If freely suspended, one pole will point toward the north. The two poles are thus named the north magnetic pole and the south magnetic pole (or more properly, north-seeking and south-seeking poles, for the attractions in those directions).

A globe of the Earth with a bar magnet inside it. The south pole of the bar magnet inside the globe is at the south magnetic pole and is near, but not exactly on, the north geographic pole. The north pole of the bar magnet inside the globe is near the south geographic pole. Another bar magnet hangs beside the globe. The north pole of this magnet is pointing toward the north pole of the globe (or the south pole of the magnet inside the globe).
Figure 22.4 One end of a bar magnet is suspended from a thread that points toward north. The magnet’s two poles are labeled N and S for north-seeking and south-seeking poles, respectively.
Two sets of bar magnets. The first set of magnets are oriented with the unlike poles adjacent to each other. Force arrows show that these magnets are pulling on each other. The second set of magnets is oriented with the like poles adjacent to each other. Force arrows show that these magnets are pushing each other away.
Figure 22.5 Unlike poles attract, whereas like poles repel.
A bar magnet is split in half several times. The original magnet has a south pole and a north pole. Each time the magnet is split, each new half has both a south pole and a north pole.
Figure 22.6 North and south poles always occur in pairs. Attempts to separate them result in more pairs of poles. If we continue to split the magnet, we will eventually get down to an iron atom with a north pole and a south pole—these, too, cannot be separated.

The fact that magnetic poles always occur in pairs of north and south is true from the very large scale—for example, sunspots always occur in pairs that are north and south magnetic poles—all the way down to the very small scale. Magnetic atoms have both a north pole and a south pole, as do many types of subatomic particles, such as electrons, protons, and neutrons.

Section Summary

  • Magnetism is a subject that includes the properties of magnets, the effect of the magnetic force on moving charges and currents, and the creation of magnetic fields by currents.
  • There are two types of magnetic poles, called the north magnetic pole and south magnetic pole.
  • North magnetic poles are those that are attracted toward the Earth’s geographic north pole.
  • Like poles repel and unlike poles attract.
  • Magnetic poles always occur in pairs of north and south—it is not possible to isolate north and south poles.

Conceptual Questions

Volcanic and other such activity at the mid-Atlantic ridge extrudes material to fill the gap between separating tectonic plates associated with continental drift. The magnetization of rocks is found to reverse in a coordinated manner with distance from the ridge. What does this imply about the Earth’s magnetic field and how could the knowledge of the spreading rate be used to give its historical record?

Adapted from College Physics 2e by OpenStax (openstax.org), licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Changes were made. License: CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0.