Question

Like poles of a magnet:
A. Attract each other
B. Repel each other
C. Either attract or repel each other
D. Neither attract nor repel each other

Answer 1

Hint: In the field of electromagnetism, there is a concept of ‘like repels like’. This means that entities having the same kind of charge or poles (either positive or negative), tend to repel each other while unlike charges and magnetic poles tend to attract each other.

Complete Step-by-Step solution:
In electromagnetism, in general, it has been observed that ‘like repels like’. What this essentially means is that entities having the same kind of charge or poles (either positive or negative), tend to repel each other while unlike charges and magnetic poles tend to attract each other. This principle has also been made famous by use in daily language with the term “Opposites Attract”.
Therefore, it is seen that ‘like charges repel’ while ’unlike charges attract’. Thus, positively charged bodies attract negatively charged bodies and vice versa while positively charged bodies repel other positively charged bodies and so do negatively charged bodies with other negatively charged bodies.
Since electricity and magnetism are very closely related and are often considered to be part of the same concept, that is electromagnetism, there is a similar behavior noticed in the poles of magnets also.
Thus, following the principle of ‘like repels like’, like poles (either north-north or south-south) of a magnet repel each other while unlike poles (north-south) of a magnet attract each other.
Hence, the correct option is B) Repel each other.

Note: A student can get a feel for the principle of ‘like repels like’ by trying to bring the north poles of a magnet to touch others. As the two magnets come closer, they will experience the repulsion growing between the two magnets and it will require more force to make the two touch, while by flipping one magnet it will become very easy to make the two touch as the unlike poles will attract each other
The stronger the magnet is, the more repulsive or attractive force is exerted by the magnet. So, more force will be required to make two like poles of two stronger magnets to meet than two weaker magnets.
This repulsion feature is being researched into to develop some interesting applications, one of which is the maglev train.