Monday Madness

You have two identical looking bars. However, one is iron, the other is a magnet. How do you put them together in such a way as to determine which is which?

not sure if this is correct or not but think a magnetic bar has the strongest magnetism at the ends, therefore it will attract the iron bar from the greatest distance by using it's end. so if you place one bar as the top line of a T and the other as the down line then pull the down bar apart from the top until you find the distance where they over come the magnetic pull, now if you move the down bar side ways i do believe they will start attracting each other again when it gets to the end, making the top bar the magnet, if they don't attract each other again then that would make the down bar the magnet, might be completely wrong but that's my answer.

I would attach them together with a string or twine at their centers. Depending on the length/size of the bars either hold or support one horizontaly and let the other one be suspended. Position the suspended one so it points in an east or west direction. If the suspended bar moves to point in a northernly direction it's the magnet. If it doesn't then the supported one is the magnet.

i like that answer oldman and think it's the correct one.

I, also, like the Old Man's answer… but the criteria did stipulate that the bars be "put together".

The "power" of a magnet is strongest at the ends. And each ends "power" has opposite polarity. If you look at a diagram of a magnetic bar… you will see that the strength of the magnetic field is shown as gauss lines emanating from each end of the bar. Gauss lines of equal but opposite strength will intersect at the center of the bar… thus the magnetic field is canceled out at the center.

As Terry said, if you touch the end of bar A to the center of bar B… if bar A "sticks" to bar B - then bar A is the magnet. If there is no attraction - then bar B is the magnet.

Well done terry1966! Here's your treat.
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but the criteria did stipulate that the bars be "put together".

"Put together" is open to interpetation. Heck I've got a computer not to mention a few vehicles that are put together with string, bubble gum and blind faith.

Well done terry1966!

but the criteria did stipulate that the bars be "put together".

"Put together" is open to interpetation. Heck I've got a computer not to mention a few vehicles that are put together with string, bubble gum and blind faith.

Well done terry1966!

can't say i've ever seen a pc put together with bubble gum oldman. i have used sellotape tho.

thanks for the treat tomk, must admit tho my answer wasn't exactly correct because i didn't know there was no/negligible magnetic pull at all in the centre of a bar magnet so the iron bar wouldn't stick, learn something new every day.

so me and oldman will share the treat because we both came up with answers that would work in finding the magnet.

Fine. Then you'll need a revised plate.

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