Question

HELP WITH MAGNETS!

Answer 1

If a bar magnet suspended on a wire comes to rest, what direction does the magnet's north pole point, in regards to

- Earth's geographical poles?
- Earth's magnetic pole?

Answer 2

A bar magnet's north pole points to magnetic south which is the geographic north.

Answer 3

Remember from playing around with magnets that opposite poles attract, so if you see the north pole of the magnet point somewhere, you know it has to be pointing to a south pole. Looking at the compass, we see North and think, aha! that must be north, when really it's pointing at the magnetic south. In the end, geographers who care little about physics just go ahead and make it simple on themselves and call it north because that's where the needle points.