Rare Earth Magnets: Why Do North Poles Attract?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the behavior of rare Earth magnets, specifically how two North poles repel each other while a straightened paperclip can connect them. The paperclip, identified as a soft ferromagnet (FM), becomes magnetized by the nearest bar magnet, creating a South pole at each end of the clip. This induced magnetization allows the paperclip to bridge the two North poles, demonstrating the principles of magnetic induction and the behavior of ferromagnetic materials.

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overlook1977
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I have a set of rare Earth magnets. I have two separate stacks of them, emulating two bar magnets. Both magnets' North poles resist each other (obviously). However, if I put a straightened paperclip between both North poles, the wire is attracted to both magnets connecting both Norths via the paperclip. I would have assumed the first magnet would have made the tip of the wire a North pole, thereby repelling the North pole of the second magent. Why does it do this?
 
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The paper clip is a soft FM, so its magnetization is induced by the closest bar magnet in each case. This makes each end of the clip like a S pole.
The magnetization in the clip weakens as you go toward the middle where it is zero.
 

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