KS3 · Physics

Magnetic poles

Someone hands you a grey metal bar. Is it a magnet? "See if a magnet sticks to it" sounds sensible, and it doesn't work. Here's the test that does.

Magnetism · Is it a magnet?

The two-pole test

You have a magnet with its poles labelled N and S, and a grey metal bar nobody can identify. Walk the test one step at a time and see where each result leads.

Try the N pole → Try the S pole

  • Watch the bar. It can only do one of three things.

4 routes through the test.

On Bring the N pole of your magnet close to one end of the mystery bar. Don't let them touch.. 3 branches to choose from.

Watch out: One pull proves nothing. Magnets and magnetic materials both get pulled. Only a push proves you've found a magnet.

Relationship matrix

Tap any cell to reveal it. Tap a column header to read one property down every item.

Brought near an N poleBrought near an S pole
North-seeking pole (N)the end of a freely swinging magnet that points north
South-seeking pole (S)the end that points south

Each cell hides a short answer and the reason behind it. Predict before you tap.

Magnetism · Magnetic materials

Which of these would a magnet pull?

Pick a material, then choose where it belongs. Watch out for the metals.

Still to sort

Magnetic (0)

A magnet attracts it with both poles.

Where the line is: Being a metal isn't enough to get in here. The only elements that do are iron, cobalt and nickel. Some alloys and compounds of them get in too.

Not magnetic (0)

A magnet attracts it with neither pole.

Where the line is: Plenty of metals belong here, along with every non-metal element.

9 of 9 still to sort.

Watch out: "All metals are magnetic" is a very common mistake. Copper, aluminium and gold are all metals, and a magnet ignores every one of them.

Predict, then check

Think about where the two poles are before you choose.

You snap a bar magnet clean in half, straight across the middle. What have you got now?

Magnetism · Magnets and charge

Magnet meets charged balloon

A balloon has been rubbed on a jumper, so it now carries an electric charge. You bring a strong bar magnet up close to it.

Which is closest to what you think happens?
How sure are you?

Compasses and the Earth

?

Reason it through

Why does a compass needle point north, and what kind of magnetic pole is waiting up there?

Link 1 of 4

First link · your turn

A compass needle is a small magnet that can turn freely. What does a freely moving magnet do?

2
Locked — reveal the link above first
3
Locked — reveal the link above first
4
Locked — reveal the link above first

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

What you need to know

  • Every magnet has a north-seeking pole (N) and a south-seeking pole (S), whatever its shape.
  • Unlike poles (N and S) attract. Like poles (N and N, or S and S) repel.
  • Magnetic force is a non-contact force: it acts across a gap and through some materials, such as card.
  • The only magnetic elements are iron, cobalt and nickel. Steel and magnetite are magnetic too.
  • Magnetic materials are attracted by both poles, so only repulsion proves an object is a magnet.
  • A compass lines up north–south because the Earth behaves almost as if it has a giant magnet inside it.

The big picture

Every magnet has a north-seeking pole and a south-seeking pole. Unlike poles attract and like poles repel, and the force acts without the magnets touching. Only iron, cobalt and nickel, and some alloys and compounds of them such as steel and magnetite, are magnetic. Magnetic materials are attracted by both poles, so only repulsion proves an object is a magnet. A compass lines up with the Earth's magnetic field, which means there is a south-seeking magnetic pole near the geographic North Pole.

Key points

1A magnet that can move freely swings so its north-seeking pole points north and its south-seeking pole points south.
2Unlike poles attract; like poles repel.
3A pole never exists on its own: break a magnet and each piece has an N and an S pole. Poles are not positive or negative.
4Magnetic force acts at a distance, when things touch, and through some materials such as card.
5Iron, cobalt and nickel are the only magnetic elements. Other metals, and all non-metal elements, are not magnetic. Steel (mostly iron) and magnetite (iron and oxygen) are magnetic.
6Test with both poles. Attracted by both means magnetic material; attracted by neither means not magnetic; attracted by one and repelled by the other means a magnet.
7There is a south-seeking magnetic pole near the Earth's geographic North Pole, because it attracts a compass needle's north-seeking pole.
8Magnetic and electrostatic forces are different types of force, and a magnet dropped hard may lose some of its magnetism.

Worked example

Problem

The N and S labels have worn off an old bar magnet. You have a second magnet that is still labelled. How can you work out which end of the old magnet is its north-seeking pole?

⚠ Watch out

Deciding that an object is a magnet because a magnet attracts it. Magnetic materials such as iron are attracted too, by both poles. Only repulsion proves that an object is itself a magnet.

🧠

Memory hook

A pull could be anything; a push proves a magnet. And remember the compass twist: your needle's N is pulled towards a hidden S at the top of the world.

✓

Check yourself

A steel paperclip is pulled towards the N pole of a magnet and towards the S pole too. Is the paperclip a magnet? Say how you know, using the word "repel" in your answer.

Flashcards

(14)
What are the two poles of a magnet called?
The north-seeking pole (N) and the south-seeking pole (S). Every magnet has both, whatever its shape.
Which pairs of magnetic poles attract, and which repel?
Unlike poles (N and S) attract. Like poles (N and N, or S and S) repel.
What does a magnet that can move freely do?
It swings so its north-seeking pole points north and its south-seeking pole points south.
What do you get if you break a bar magnet in two?
Two smaller magnets, each with its own N and S pole. A pole never exists on its own.
Are magnetic poles positive and negative?
No. N and S poles are not positive or negative charges.
Why is magnetic force called a non-contact force?
It acts at a distance, without the objects touching. It can even act through some materials, such as card.
Which three elements are magnetic?
Iron, cobalt and nickel. Every other metal element, and every non-metal element, is not magnetic.
Name a magnetic alloy and a magnetic compound.
Steel (an alloy that is mostly iron with some carbon) and magnetite (a compound of iron and oxygen).
How does a magnetic material respond to each pole of a magnet?
It is attracted by both poles. It is not usually a magnet itself.
Which result proves that an object is itself a magnet?
Repulsion. Only a magnet can be pushed away by a pole of another magnet.
Can an object made of a magnetic material become a magnet?
Yes. For example, a paperclip touching a magnet can attract other paperclips.
What makes a compass needle line up north–south?
The Earth's magnetic field. The Earth behaves almost as if it has a giant magnet inside it.
What kind of magnetic pole is near the Earth's geographic North Pole?
A south-seeking magnetic pole. It attracts the north-seeking pole of a compass needle, and unlike poles attract.
Does a magnet attract a charged balloon?
No. Magnetic and electrostatic forces are different types of force, and being magnetic has nothing to do with carrying a charge.

Tap any card to flip it, or use Study as deck to go through them one at a time. In the full lesson these run as a spaced-repetition deck — you rate each card Hard, Good or Easy and the tricky ones keep coming back until they stick.

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