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A magnetic pole is a region of a magnet where the magnetic forces are strongest, located at the ends of a bar magnet. Free GCSE Physics notes and 12 FAQs.
Magnetic Poles and Forces is part of Permanent and induced magnetism, magnetic forces and fields in GCSE AQA Higher Physics.
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A magnetic pole is a region of a magnet where the magnetic forces are strongest, located at the ends of a bar magnet. Free GCSE Physics notes and 12 FAQs.
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Use this lesson to stay inside Permanent and induced magnetism, magnetic forces and fields while connecting the detail back to the wider Magnetism and electromagnetism topic.
Read the core explanations from Magnetic Poles and Forces before testing yourself from memory.
Hold a bar magnet near some iron filings and watch what happens. The filings cluster most densely at the two ends of the magnet, not in the middle. These regions where the magnetic attraction is strongest are called the magnetic poles.
Every magnet has exactly two poles, regardless of its shape. We call them the north pole (N) and south pole (S). The north pole is the end that would point towards Earth's magnetic north if the magnet could rotate freely.
You cannot have a magnet with just one pole. If you break a bar magnet in half, you don't get separate north and south poles - you get two smaller magnets, each with their own north and south poles. This is fundamentally different from electric charges, where you can have isolated positive or negative charges.
When you bring two magnets close together, something predictable happens every time. The force between them depends entirely on which poles are facing each other. This follows a simple rule that governs all magnetic interactions.
Like poles repel each other. North repels north, and south repels south. You can feel this repulsion as you try to push two north poles together - there's an invisible force pushing them apart.
Unlike poles attract each other. North attracts south, and south attracts north. This attraction pulls the magnets together, and you have to apply force to separate them once they're close.
This behaviour is completely reliable. You'll never find two north poles that attract each other, or a north and south pole that repel. The rule works for any permanent magnets, whether they're bar magnets, horseshoe magnets, or even fridge magnets.
Here's what makes magnetic forces special: they work without the magnets touching. Hold two magnets a few centimetres apart and you can still feel the force between them. This invisible action-at-a-distance is called a non-contact force.
Non-contact forces are different from contact forces like friction or tension, which only work when objects are physically touching. Magnetic forces can act through air, paper, glass, and even thin sheets of metal.
The strength of magnetic forces depends on distance. The closer the magnets, the stronger the force. Move them twice as far apart and the force becomes much weaker. This distance effect is why you need to bring magnets quite close before you feel the force strongly.
Other examples of non-contact forces include gravity (which pulls objects towards Earth without touching them) and electrostatic forces (which make your hair stand up near a charged balloon). All these forces can act through empty space.
You can investigate magnetic pole interactions using simple equipment. This helps you see the patterns and test the rules we've discussed. The key is to observe what happens systematically with different pole combinations.
Worked example: Investigating Magnetic Pole Interactions
Design an investigation to demonstrate the law of magnetic poles using two bar magnets.
Answer: Like poles repel (N-N and S-S), unlike poles attract (N-S and S-N). This demonstrates that magnetic forces are non-contact forces.
When you do this investigation, you'll notice the force gets stronger as the magnets get closer. You can also test whether other materials affect the force by placing paper, plastic, or glass between the magnets.
A useful extension is to use a compass near your magnets. The compass needle is itself a small magnet, so it will be attracted to unlike poles and repelled by like poles. This shows that the magnetic force extends in all directions around each pole.
Exam questions on magnetic poles often test whether you can predict forces and explain why they occur. The key is to identify the poles correctly and apply the law of magnetic poles systematically.
Many students make the mistake of confusing magnetic poles with electric charges. Remember: in magnetism, like repels like and unlike attracts unlike. Don't mix this up with other force laws you might have learned.
When describing magnetic forces, always mention that they are non-contact forces. This is a key scientific concept that examiners look for. Explain that the magnets don't need to touch for the force to act.
For 'explain' questions, structure your answer clearly: state what happens, then explain why using the law of magnetic poles. For example: "The magnets repel because both poles are north poles, and like poles always repel each other."
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Move to the related lessons or back to the topic page when you need the wider sequence before exam-style practice.
A magnetic pole is a region of a magnet where the magnetic forces are strongest, located at the ends of a bar magnet. Iron filings cluster most densely at the two poles, not in the middle.
Magnetism is a non-contact force because magnets attract or repel without touching; the force can be felt with two magnets a few centimetres apart. Magnetic forces act through air, paper, glass and even thin sheets of metal, and get stronger as the magnets get closer.
Like magnetic poles repel: north repels north and south repels south. Unlike poles attract: north attracts south. This rule works for any permanent magnets, including bar, horseshoe and fridge magnets.
Breaking a bar magnet in half gives two smaller magnets, each with its own north and south pole, not separate north and south poles. Every magnet has exactly two poles, so a magnet cannot have just one pole.
A compass needle is itself a small magnet, so near a magnet it is attracted to unlike poles and repelled by like poles. This shows that the magnetic force extends in all directions around each pole.
The magnetic forces are strongest at the magnetic poles, the ends of a bar magnet. Iron filings cluster most densely at the two ends of the magnet, not in the middle.
The law of magnetic poles is investigated by placing one bar magnet on a smooth surface and bringing each pole of a second magnet towards each of its poles, testing N-N, S-S, N-S and S-N. Like poles make the stationary magnet move away, and unlike poles make it move closer.
The north pole of a magnet is the end that would point towards Earth's magnetic north if the magnet could rotate freely. Every magnet has a north pole (N) and a south pole (S).
Magnetic poles always come in pairs, so a magnet cannot have just one pole, whereas electric charges can be isolated positive or negative charges. For magnets, like poles repel and unlike poles attract.
The strength of the magnetic force depends on distance: the closer the magnets, the stronger the force. Moving them twice as far apart makes the force much weaker.
Magnetic forces can act through air, paper, glass and even thin sheets of metal. Placing materials between two magnets is one way to extend an investigation of magnetic forces.
Two magnets repel when both facing poles are the same, for example both north, because like poles always repel. A full answer states what happens, then explains it with the law of magnetic poles.