Magnetic-field arrows outside a bar magnet conventionally run from its north pole toward its south pole. These are field directions, not tracks followed by pieces of magnetic material. The activity separately draws interaction-force arrows on the magnets and labels its field sketch as qualitative rather than a measured map.
Forces, motion and energy · Discover & try
When do two magnets push apart?
Reading level 3 of 5 · IndependentChange
Word help
Pole
A north or south region used to describe a magnet’s orientation.
Repulsion
An interaction tending to push objects apart.
Attraction
An interaction tending to pull objects together.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
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Qualitative bar-magnet interaction and external field-direction sketch, with no calibrated force law.
What to look for
- Read the two facing pole labels.
- Distinguish force arrows from field direction.
- Turn one magnet without changing its two-pole nature.
Explain what you noticed
In a separate setup, the south pole of one bar magnet faces the south pole of another. What tendency is expected?
Keep this idea: Like magnetic poles repel and unlike poles attract; the interaction acts on both magnets.
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Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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