Question

Suggest an activity to explain that similar poles of a magnet repel each other whereas opposite poles of a magnet attract each other. Draw necessary diagrams also.

Answer 1

Tie a bar magnet in the middle with a thread and suspend it from a stand as shown in figure. 

1. Let the magnet came to rest. 

2. Now take the south pole of another magnet near the south pole of the suspended magnet. We observe that suspended bar magnet moves backward.

3. This is called as repulsion.

4. Now take the south pole of the magnet near the north pole of the suspended magnet.

5. You observe that the suspended bar magnet comes closer and even sticks to the other bar magnet.

6. This is called as attraction.

7. This shows that there is attraction between unlike poles of magnets and repulsion between like pole of magnets.