Karuna carried a magnetic compass with her on a school picnic. When she placed the compass near the metal flask, the needle only jerked. Monika had two bar magnets. When the magnet was brought near the compass, the needle turned strongly towards the magnet.

Answer the following :

(i) Why did the metal flask not attract the compass needle much ?

(ii) Why did the needle move strongly towards the bar magnet ?

(iii) If Monika flips the magnet, what will happen to the direction of the compass needle ?

(iv) Why is repulsion the only test of a magnet ?

(i) The metal flask is not a magnet, so it does not produce its own magnetic field. It may cause a slight disturbance due to weak induced magnetism, which is why the needle only jerks briefly, but there is no strong or sustained attraction.

(ii) A bar magnet produces a strong magnetic field around it so the compass needle, being a small magnet, experiences a force in this field and aligns itself with it, causing a clear and strong deflection.

(iii) If the magnet is flipped, its poles interchange positions. Therefore, the compass needle will deflect in the opposite direction.

(iv) Repulsion is the only sure test of a magnet because attraction can occur between a magnet and any magnetic material such as iron. But repulsion occurs only between like poles of two magnets. Hence, it confirms that both objects are magnets.