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To Show Magnetic Repulsion and Attraction

Suspend two short pieces of iron wire, N S, N S, so that they will hang in contact in a vertical position. If the north pole of a magnet N be now brought to a moderate distance between the wires, they will recede from each other, as in figure 1.

The ends s s being made south poles by induction from the north pole N, will repel each other, and so will the north poles N N. This separation of the wires will increase as the magnet approaches them, out there will be a particular distance at which the attractive force of N overcomes the repulsive force of the poles s s, and causes the wires to converge, as in figure 2; the north poles N N still exhibiting their mutual repulsion.