Properties and uses of bar magnet

A bar magnet has properties similar to any permanent magnet.

• It has a north pole and a south pole at two ends. Even if you break a bar magnet from the middle, both the pieces will still have a north pole and a south pole, no matter how many pieces you break it in.
• The magnetic force of it is the strongest at the pole.
• If this magnet is suspended freely in the air with a thread, it will not come to rest until the poles are aligned in a north-south position. A Mariner’s Compass uses this property to determine direction.
• If two bar magnets are placed close to each other, their unlike poles will attract and like poles will repel each other.
• A bar magnet will attract all ferromagnetic materials such as iron, nickel and cobalt.

  Uses of Bar Magnet

  • Bar magnets are used as stirrers in laboratory for magnetic experiments.
  • They also find applications in medical procedures.
  • Electronic devices such as telephones, radios, and television sets use magnets.
  • Many industries use bar magnets for the collection of loose metals and also for retaining magnetism of other magnets.