Explain why iron filings which are sprinkled on a sheet of cardboard over a bar magnet take up a definite pattern when cardboard is slightly tapped.

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Solution

The reason is that due to magnet, each piece of iron filings get magnetised by magnetic induction and experiences a force due to the magnet. The magnetic force experienced by the iron filings depends on the magnetic field around it.
Due to the magnetic force, the iron filings arrange themselves along the curved lines. These curved lines are called magnetic field lines.

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