a) The force is repulsive
b) The force is attractive
Explanation:
Every magnet has a magnetic field around it. It is possible to distinguish two different poles in the magnet, according to the direction of the magnetic field: in particular, the lines of the field go out from the North pole and go into the South Pole. When a magnet is broken, two new magnets are formed, each of them having its own north and south pole.
The force between two magnets can be either attractive or repulsive, depending on which poles are facing each other. We have the following situation:
- The magnetic force between two like poles (north-north and south-south) is repulsive
- The magnetic force between two opposite poles (north-south) is attractive
Therefore, we have the following situations in this problem:
a)
Here we are holding the two north poles together: since they are like poles, they repel each other, so the force in this case is repulsive
b)
Here we are holding a north pole and a south pole together: since they are opposite poles, they attract each other, so the force in this case is attractive
Learn more about magnetic fields:
brainly.com/question/3874443
brainly.com/question/4240735
#LearnwithBrainly
