Poles of a magnet — AQA GCSE Physics
Test yourself on Poles of a magnet with AQA GCSE practice questions.
7 days Premium · Then free forever · No card, no charge
Poles of a magnet explained
A permanent magnet is made from a hard magnetic material such as steel, alnico or neodymium, and it produces its own magnetic field all the time.
Read the full explanation
Its north and south poles are fixed, and they are there whether or not another magnet is anywhere near. That is the crucial contrast with an induced magnet, which is only magnetic while it sits inside somebody else's field. Because a permanent magnet has its own fixed poles, it can repel as well as attract, which an induced magnet can never do. It is not indestructible: heating it strongly, hammering it or dropping it repeatedly jumbles the domains and demagnetises it, but simply moving it away from other magnets does not.
Your focus
- State what distinguishes a permanent magnet from an induced magnet.
- Describe two ways in which a permanent magnet can be demagnetised.
- Identify from a description whether an object is a permanent magnet, an induced magnet or an electromagnet.
Poles of a magnet exam tips
Marking Points
- one mark for stating that a permanent magnet produces its own magnetic field
- one mark for stating that the field is present whether or not another magnet is nearby
- one mark for stating that the poles of a permanent magnet are fixed, so it can repel as well as attract
- one mark for contrasting with an induced magnet, which is magnetic only while it is in an external field
Examiner Tips
- 💡Difference questions need both sides written out, not just the permanent magnet.
- 💡Use the phrase 'produces its own magnetic field' word for word.
- 💡Mention that only a permanent magnet can repel, as your test for telling them apart.
Common Mistakes
- asserting that a permanent magnet can never lose its magnetism
- describing a permanent magnet simply as one that is always attracting things
- confusing a permanent magnet with an electromagnet, which needs a current
- saying a permanent magnet has no field until something magnetic is brought near it