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.