How to Determine North And South Pole of Magnet?

A magnet could generate a magnetic field to attract other magnets and ferromagnetic materials. It is applied to a range of fields thanks to this magnetic force.

Polarity is one of the key features of a magnet. The ends of a magnet are poles. One end is the North Pole, and the other is the South Pole. The North Pole of a magnet always points to the North of the Earth when it is suspended freely. Magnets have lots of properties such as attraction and repulsion. The opposite poles of two magnets attract each other, while the same poles push away each other. Here, we are going to have a further discussion about magnet poles and how to identify the North Pole and the South Pole.

How to Identify the Two Poles?

It is not easy to determine the two poles of a magnet since they look the same if unmarked. Here are a few tips for you to identify the poles of magnets.

1.   The Polarity of the Earth

The Earth is a giant magnet, and we can identify its geomagnetic poles using its geographic poles. The South Pole of the earth could be regarded as the North geomagnetic pole of the earth roughly because the North geomagnetic pole is near the South geographic pole. According to a 2020 report, the North geomagnetic pole is at 80.65°N 72.68°W, and the South geomagnetic pole is at 80.65°S107.32°E. [1] After confirming the magnetic poles of the earth, we can determine the magnetic poles of the magnets by using the characteristic that the north pole of a free-suspended magnet always points to the north of the earth.

Related reading: A Deep Dive into Magnet Basics

2.   Marked Magnets

It is rather easy to tell apart the two poles of a magnet with marked magnets. The North Pole of a marked magnet is usually painted in red, while the South Pole is in blue. Put a marked magnet and an unmarked magnet together. The North Pole of the unmarked magnet will be attracted to the South Pole of the marked magnet. You can also use repulsion to identify the poles of an unmarked magnet.

3.   Using a Compass

Line up the unmarked magnet and a compass, the North Pole of the magnet would point to the South Pole of the compass because the opposite poles attract each other.

4.   Pole Detectors

You can use either a magnetic pole detector or an electronic pole identifier. The magnetic detector has a small painted bar magnet in the middle to show the polarity of unmarked magnets. And the electronic detector has LED light to manifest the polarity. Both of them are user-friendly and easy to operate.

A Marked Magnet

Magnetic Pole Identifier

A Compass

Can the Polarity of the Magnet Be Reversed?

Generally, a magnet has two poles and these two poles seldom change. However, the North Pole and the South Pole of different magnets can be reserved in the following conditions.

1.   The Earth

The result would be disastrous if the poles of the Earth flipped. For one thing, countless birds, bats, and other animals count on the Earth’s magnetic field to find the way home. They would be lost if the polarity shit happens. For another, the Earth’s magnetic field serves as a barrier against radiation. There would be a large radiation flux if the polarity reverses. Electronic devices would be affected as well.

2.   Permanent Magnets

Permanent magnets are difficult to change for their strong magnetism. Yet you can switch the two poles by following these steps. First, heat the magnet to its Curie temperature. Then, put the permanent magnet in a stronger magnetic field for a short time.

3.   Electromagnets

It is much easier to shift the polarity of electromagnets. You just need to change the direction of the electric current.

Electronic Pole Identifier

Conclusion 

Thank you for reading our article we hope it can help you know how to determine the north and south poles of the magnet well. If you want to find out more about magnet products, we advise you to visit Stanford Magnets for more information. Stanford Magnets is a leading supplier of magnet products across the world and has been involved in R&D, manufacturing, and sales of permanent magnets since the 1990s. It provides customers with high-quality rare earth permanent magnetic products such as neodymium magnets, and other non-rare earth permanent magnets at a very affordable price.

Reference:

[1] Geomagnetic pole. (2023, January 25). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_pole