Magnetism and electromagnetism lesson
Magnetic Poles and Forces: Explore the attraction and repulsion between magnetic poles, and the concept of magnetic forces as non-contact forces.
Magnetic Poles and Forces is part of Permanent and induced magnetism, magnetic forces and fields in GCSE AQA Higher Physics.
4 min
Reading time
19
Lessons in this topic
GCSE AQA Higher
Pathway
Expert reviewed
Content review
Magnetic Poles and Forces: Explore the attraction and repulsion between magnetic poles, and the concept of magnetic forces as non-contact forces.
Use this lesson to stay inside Permanent and induced magnetism, magnetic forces and fields while connecting the detail back to the wider Magnetism and electromagnetism topic.
Read the core explanations from Magnetic Poles and Forces before testing yourself from memory.
Hold a bar magnet near some iron filings and watch what happens. The filings cluster most densely at the two ends of the magnet, not in the middle. These regions where the magnetic attraction is strongest are called the magnetic poles.
Every magnet has exactly two poles, regardless of its shape. We call them the north pole (N) and south pole (S). The north pole is the end that would point towards Earth's magnetic north if the magnet could rotate freely.
You cannot have a magnet with just one pole. If you break a bar magnet in half, you don't get separate north and south poles - you get two smaller magnets, each with their own north and south poles. This is fundamentally different from electric charges, where you can have isolated positive or negative charges.
When you bring two magnets close together, something predictable happens every time. The force between them depends entirely on which poles are facing each other. This follows a simple rule that governs all magnetic interactions.
Like poles repel each other. North repels north, and south repels south. You can feel this repulsion as you try to push two north poles together - there's an invisible force pushing them apart.
Unlike poles attract each other. North attracts south, and south attracts north. This attraction pulls the magnets together, and you have to apply force to separate them once they're close.
This behaviour is completely reliable. You'll never find two north poles that attract each other, or a north and south pole that repel. The rule works for any permanent magnets, whether they're bar magnets, horseshoe magnets, or even fridge magnets.
Here's what makes magnetic forces special: they work without the magnets touching. Hold two magnets a few centimetres apart and you can still feel the force between them. This invisible action-at-a-distance is called a non-contact force.
Non-contact forces are different from contact forces like friction or tension, which only work when objects are physically touching. Magnetic forces can act through air, paper, glass, and even thin sheets of metal.
The strength of magnetic forces depends on distance. The closer the magnets, the stronger the force. Move them twice as far apart and the force becomes much weaker. This distance effect is why you need to bring magnets quite close before you feel the force strongly.
Other examples of non-contact forces include gravity (which pulls objects towards Earth without touching them) and electrostatic forces (which make your hair stand up near a charged balloon). All these forces can act through empty space.
You can investigate magnetic pole interactions using simple equipment. This helps you see the patterns and test the rules we've discussed. The key is to observe what happens systematically with different pole combinations.
When you do this investigation, you'll notice the force gets stronger as the magnets get closer. You can also test whether other materials affect the force by placing paper, plastic, or glass between the magnets.
A useful extension is to use a compass near your magnets. The compass needle is itself a small magnet, so it will be attracted to unlike poles and repelled by like poles. This shows that the magnetic force extends in all directions around each pole.
Exam questions on magnetic poles often test whether you can predict forces and explain why they occur. The key is to identify the poles correctly and apply the law of magnetic poles systematically.
Many students make the mistake of confusing magnetic poles with electric charges. Remember: in magnetism, like repels like and unlike attracts unlike. Don't mix this up with other force laws you might have learned.
When describing magnetic forces, always mention that they are non-contact forces. This is a key scientific concept that examiners look for. Explain that the magnets don't need to touch for the force to act.
For 'explain' questions, structure your answer clearly: state what happens, then explain why using the law of magnetic poles. For example: "The magnets repel because both poles are north poles, and like poles always repel each other."
Published by Revise Right. Use the official specification reference to check the requirements for your course. Content updated: 2026-03-20.
Move to the related lessons or back to the topic page when you need the wider sequence before exam-style practice.
Explore the attraction and repulsion between magnetic poles, and the concept of magnetic forces as non-contact forces.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to Describe the attraction and repulsion between magnetic poles; Explain why magnetic forces are examples of non-contact forces; Identify where magnetic forces are strongest on a permanent magnet; Apply knowledge of magnetic pole interactions to predict forces between magnets.
Read each section, then close the notes and explain the idea from memory. Check your explanation against the page and finish with an exam question from Magnetism and electromagnetism.