Question

The neutral points of a bar magnet kept with its north pole pointing towards geographic north are located __________

• A. on either side of the magnet in east and west.
• B. on either side of the magnet in north and south.
• C. on either side of the magnet in south and north.
• D. both B & C

Answer 1

The correct option is A on either side of the magnet in east and west.

Earth has two geographic poles, the North Pole and the South Pole. They are the places on Earth's surface that Earth's imaginary spin axis passes through. Our planet also has two magnetic poles, the North Magnetic Pole and the South Magnetic Pole just like a bar magnet. The magnetic poles are near, but not quite in the same places as, the geographic poles. A magnetic compass does not point to the geographic north pole.
A magnetic compass points to the earth's magnetic poles, which are not the same as earth's geographic poles. Furthermore, the magnetic pole near earth's geographic north pole is actually the south magnetic pole and vice-versa. When it comes to magnets, opposites attract. This fact means that the north end of a magnet in a compass is attracted to the south magnetic pole, which lies close to the geographic north pole. Magnetic field lines outside of a permanent magnet always run from the north magnetic pole to the south magnetic pole. Therefore, the magnetic field lines of the earth run from the southern geographic hemisphere towards the northern geographic hemisphere.
Hence, the neutral points of a bar magnet kept with its north pole pointing towards geographic north are located on either side of the magnet in east and west direction as unlike poles attract each other.