Why a magnet suspends in north south direction
A magnet is suspended in the north-south direction because of its interaction with Earth's magnetic field.
The Earth has a magnetic field generated by its core, which behaves like a large bar magnet with a north and south pole. The north magnetic pole of the Earth's field is located near the geographic south pole, and the south magnetic pole of the Earth's field is located near the geographic north pole.
When a magnet is suspended, it aligns itself with the Earth's magnetic field. The north pole of the magnet is attracted to the Earth's geographic north pole, which is actually the south magnetic pole of the Earth's field. Similarly, the south pole of the magnet is attracted to the Earth's geographic south pole, which is actually the north magnetic pole of the Earth's field. This alignment causes the magnet to suspend itself in the north-south direction.
It is important to note that the Earth's magnetic field is not perfectly aligned with the geographic north-south axis. The angle between the magnetic field and the geographic north-south axis is known as magnetic declination, which varies based on location and changes over time. Therefore, the magnet may not align exactly with the geographic north-south axis but will generally point in that direction.
A magnet suspends in the north-south direction due to the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and the magnetic properties of the magnet.
Here is a step-by-step explanation:
1. Earth's magnetic field: The Earth has its own magnetic field, which is generated by the movement of molten iron in its outer core. This magnetic field extends from the Earth's interior into space.
2. North and South poles: The Earth's magnetic field has a North Pole and a South Pole, which are not located exactly at the geographic North and South poles. The North Pole of Earth's magnetic field is actually located near the geographic South Pole.
3. Magnetic properties of a magnet: A magnet has two poles, a North Pole and a South Pole. These poles have opposite magnetic characteristics, meaning that the North Pole of a magnet attracts the South Pole of another magnet, while repelling the North Pole of another magnet.
4. Attraction and alignment: When a magnet is suspended, it aligns itself with Earth's magnetic field. The North Pole of a magnet is attracted to the Earth's South Pole (which is near the geographic North Pole), and vice versa.
5. Balancing forces: The interaction between Earth's magnetic field and the magnet's magnetic properties creates a balancing force. The magnetic force pulling the North Pole of the magnet towards the Earth's South Pole is balanced by the force of gravity pulling the magnet downwards.
6. Stability in the north-south direction: Due to this balancing force, the magnet stabilizes itself in the north-south direction. The North Pole of the magnet points towards the Earth's South Pole, and the South Pole of the magnet points towards the Earth's North Pole.
In summary, a magnet suspends in the north-south direction because of the attractive interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and the magnet's magnetic properties.