If a bar magnet is hung from a string, in which direction does its north pole point?

Question

If a bar magnet is hung from a string, in which direction does its north pole point?

1. A. North (Correct answer)
2. B. South
3. C. East
4. D. West

Correct Answer

Option A — North

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is North.

Key Points

• A freely suspended bar magnet aligns with the Earth's magnetic field, so its north pole points towards the geographic north.
• This directional property is the basis of the magnetic compass.

Additional Information

• A freely suspended magnet aligns with the Earth's field, which is why the north-seeking pole is named for the direction it points.
• The Earth behaves as though a bar magnet sits inside it with its magnetic south near the geographic north — that is why a compass needle's north pole is attracted there.
• Magnetic declination is the angle between geographic and magnetic north; inclination (dip) is the angle the field makes with the horizontal, 0° at the equator and 90° at the poles.
• Cutting a magnet in two never isolates a pole: each piece becomes a complete magnet, since magnetic monopoles do not exist.