How do you detect the poles of a magnet using compass?

Answer 1

To identify the north pole of a magnet, make a compass out of it by hanging it on a string or floating it on water. The pole that faces geographic north is the north pole. Once you have a magnets poles labelled, you can use it to identify orientation and poles on another magnet since like poles repel and opposite poles attract.

Alternative Answer

Easier still, use a compass! A compass always points to the south magnetic pole of a magnet.

Answer 2

You need to use a magnet that has the poles already marked on it and hold each pole of that magnet against the unknown magents ends. If the pole marked S on the known magnet links with the pole on the unknown magnet then the pole on the unknown magnet is North.

Better Answer

Use a compass. The needle will indicate a magnet's south pole.

Answer 3

The painted end of a compass needle (or, if not painted, the end with an arrowhead shape) will always point to the south-pole of a nearby magnet. The non-painted end will seek out the north pole of a nearby magnet. If this seems the wrong way round, then here's the explanation:

The needle of a compass is itself a small magnet. One end of the needle is highlighted with paint to show that this is the end that points towards a place in Canada referred to as "the Earth's magnetic north pole". The magnet points to this place, not because there is lots of metal there, but because the Earth itself behaves like a huge magnet.

The end of any magnet which, if allowed to rotate freely, points to the Earth's magnetic north pole is called "the north-seeking pole" of the magnet, or simply "the magnet's north pole". The opposite end is called "the magnet's south-seeking pole", or simply its "south pole". Therefore, a magnet's south pole gets its name because it points towards the Earth's magnetic south pole, which is in Antarctica.

Now here's the tricky bit: opposite magnetic poles attract and like ones repel. It follows that, because the north pole of a magnet is attracted towards Canada, there must be a huge magnet with its south pole in Canada. Similarly, when the south pole of a magnet points towards Antarctica, this is because there is a huge magnet with its north pole in Antarctica. This means the Earth's magnetic poles, despite their names, are the opposite way round to the Earth's geographical poles, around which it rotates. All the confusion comes about because of the way we label the seeking-ends of a magnet.

Note that the Earth's magnetic poles are currently close to, but not coincident with, the points where the Earth's axis meets the Earth's surface, called the geographical poles. The magnetic poles of the Earth change position slowly with time and are known to have completely reversed on many occasions during the Earth's history!

Answer 4

friction to create static will line up in a magnetic field, with a magnet marked with its poles identified the positive end will repel the positive end of the field (object).

Answer 5

The south pole points to Earth's North.