Explain the following :

(a) When two pins are hung by their heads from the same pole of a magnet, their pointed ends move apart.

(b) Several soft iron pins can cling, one below the other, from the pole of a magnet.

(c) The north end of a freely suspended magnetic needle gets attracted towards a piece of soft iron placed a little distance away from the needle.

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Solution

(a) When two pins are hung by their heads from the same pole of a magnet, they acquire same polarity. Because like poles repel each other, their pointed ends move apart.

(b) Several soft iron pins can cling one below the other from the pole of a magnet because the magnet induces magnetism in an iron nail which gets attracted by the magnet and clings to it. This magnetized nail magnetizes the other nail near it by magnetic induction and attracts it. This process continues until force of attraction on first nail is sufficient to balance the total weight of all nails in chain.
(c) When a piece of soft iron is placed a little distance away from the needle, the needle induces magnetism to the piece of soft iron. Thus, soft iron piece starts behaving like a magnet and it attracts the magnetic needle towards it.

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