What Is the Difference Between the North and South Pole of a Magnet?
The north and south poles are equally strong; they differ only in the direction of the field. Field lines leave the north pole and return to the south pole. Opposite poles attract and like poles repel. The names come from compasses: a magnet’s north-seeking end points toward Earth’s geographic North Pole.
Why Is It Called “North”?
Early navigators named a compass needle’s ends for the direction they pointed: the north-seeking and south-seeking poles. Over time that shortened to “north” and “south.” Since opposites attract, the place a compass’s north pole points to, near the geographic North Pole, is magnetically a south pole.
Can You Separate the Poles?
No. Cut a magnet in half and you get two smaller magnets, each with its own north and south pole. Magnets always come with both. (Please don’t try cutting neodymium magnets; here’s why.)