Physics 11 FHYS 216l Lab 5: Magnets Objective Here we aim to study the behavior of a magnetic field due to a bar magnet. We also want to understand the magnetic field of a magnet in the context of the Earth's magnetic field. Finally, we want to determine the magnetic field direction and strength at different locations around any magnet including the Earth. Background All magnets have two opposite magnetic poles: a North Pole and a South Pole. Magnets can exert forces which can in tum attract or repel other magnets or magnetized objects. In general, opposite poles attract while negative poles repel. Two magnets can create a force on each other ata distance that is much larger than the size of the magnets themselves. The magnetic field responsible for this force can be represented by lines flowing out of 2 magnet's north pole and Magnet into its south pole. The Earth itself has a magnetic field that varies over the surface of the earth. The magnetic field on the surface of the Earth is equal to roughly 50 microTesla (uT) and points in the direction of the Earth's geographical North Pole. This means that the Earth's Geographic North Pole is, in fact, a Magnetic South Pole! It is important to note that the Earth's Geographic Poles are not aligned with its Magnetic Poles. The poles are misaligned by an angle of about 11.5