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Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Quick questions on Magnets and magnetic fields: N(A)-Level Physics magnetism
3short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are magnetic poles?Show answer
Every magnet has two poles, a north pole and a south pole. The poles are where the magnetism is strongest. If a magnet is free to turn, its north pole points towards the Earth's geographic north, which is how a compass works.
What is the magnetic field?Show answer
The space around a magnet where it can affect a magnetic material or another magnet is called its magnetic field. We picture the field using field lines:
What is plotting the field?Show answer
You can map the field with a small plotting compass: place it near a pole, mark the ends of the needle, move it along step by step, and join the dots to trace a field line. Iron filings sprinkled around a magnet also line up along the field lines and show the pattern quickly.
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