I have a few questions that I am not too sure of.
why is it inadvisable to make a horseshoe magnet from a flexible material?
-is it because it would have enough magnetism
Do the poles of a horseshoe magnet attact each other? If you bend the magnet so that the poles get closer together, what happens to the force between the poles?
-Yes, because of the opposite poles. The force between the poles become stronger.
If the material were flexible, wouldn't one pole join another?
Second answer is right on.
magnets attrac each other
To answer your first question, it is inadvisable to make a horseshoe magnet from a flexible material because it would not have enough magnetism. The magnetism of a magnet is determined by its material and shape. Flexible materials tend to have lower magnetic properties, so a horseshoe magnet made from a flexible material would not generate a strong magnetic field. This means it would not be effective for its intended purpose, such as picking up iron objects.
Regarding your second question, the poles of a horseshoe magnet do attract each other. Horseshoe magnets have two poles, a north pole (N) and a south pole (S), which are opposite in nature. Opposite poles attract each other, while like poles (N-N or S-S) repel each other.
When you bend a horseshoe magnet so that the poles get closer together, the force between the poles becomes stronger. This is because when the poles are closer, the magnetic field lines emanating from each pole interact more closely with each other, leading to a stronger attraction force between them. This is why a horseshoe magnet is designed with the poles facing each other, to maximize the magnetic force.