Two Poles, Two Rules

Two magnets sometimes snap together — and sometimes push each other apart. There's a simple rule behind it. This 90-second narrated lesson teaches kids that every magnet has a North and South pole, and the universal law: like poles repel, opposite poles attract. With an interactive flip-the-magnet activity and a quiz.

Class 6 ScienceClass 6 / Grade 6Ages 8–11
Lesson
🧭 Two Poles, Two Rules
Sometimes they snap…NSNS…and sometimes they don't.

Try this at home: take two fridge magnets and slide them slowly toward each other. Sometimes they snap together — and sometimes they push each other away. Today we'll learn why.

Every magnet has two poles

A magnet's pull is strongest at its two ends. These ends are called poles. Every magnet — even a tiny fridge sticker — has exactly two: a North pole and a South pole. The pull is weak in the middle and strong at the ends.

In a typical bar magnet, the North pole is often coloured red and the South pole blue (or the opposite, depending on who made it). The colours are just a label — the magnetism is the same kind of force at both ends, just facing in opposite directions.

The two rules

Bring two magnets close to each other and one of two things happens:

  • Like poles repel. If two North ends face each other (or two South ends), they push away. The closer you bring them, the harder they push back.
  • Opposite poles attract. If a North end meets a South end, they pull together. Get them close enough and they snap with a satisfying click.

These two rules are simple but they're true for every magnet in the universe — fridge magnets, MRI machines, even the magnetic field of Earth itself.

Can you split a magnet to remove a pole?

Here's a fun fact: no, you can't. If you cut a bar magnet in half, you don't get a "North-only" magnet and a "South-only" magnet. Instead, each half becomes a new, smaller magnet — with its own North and South pole.

Cut those halves again, and you get four small magnets. Cut those, eight. Magnets are like that all the way down to single atoms — every piece always has two poles.

Why do magnets work this way?

Inside iron and other magnetic materials, atoms behave like tiny magnets. Normally they point in random directions and cancel out. But in a magnet, they're all lined up — pointing the same way. That alignment creates a single overall North end and South end.

When two magnets meet, every tiny atom-magnet inside one feels the field from the other. The forces add up — and whether they push or pull depends entirely on which way the atoms are pointing.

Frequently asked questions

Where is a magnet strongest?

At the two poles — the ends. The middle of a magnet has very weak pull. That's why two magnets stick best when joined end-to-end.

What does 'like poles repel' mean?

It means two of the same kind of pole (North + North, or South + South) push each other away. The closer you push them, the harder they push back.

Can a magnet have only one pole?

No. Every magnet, no matter how small, has both a North and a South pole. Even if you cut a bar magnet in half, each half becomes a new magnet with two poles of its own.

What if I bring a magnet's middle to another magnet?

The pull is much weaker because the middle is the weakest part. The two magnets might still attract, but only a little.

How do I tell which pole is North without labels?

Hang the magnet by a thread so it can swing freely. The end that points roughly north (towards the geographic North Pole) is the North-seeking end of the magnet — what we call its North pole.

Why do all magnets have two poles?

Because magnetism is created by motion of electric charges (electrons) inside atoms. Whenever there's a North end, there has to be a South end at the other side — they always come as a pair, just like the two ends of a battery.

More lessons