Spherical Magnets: Learn How to Determine North & South Poles

[Max_sky]

Spherical Magnet...!

Hello Everyone,
There is a Doubt constantly raising in my mind...it may sound stupid but i was wondering if it's possible to produce Perfect SPHERICAL Magnet...if so how one can determine its pole. I mean Where are the north and south pole...?

 

[Dale]

Yes, it is possible to produce a spherical magnet. The shape of the magnet has nothing to do with its magnetic moment.

 

[Pythagorean]

Yes, it's possible. The poles will be opposite each other and it will depend on how the dipole moments of the material line up.

I'm assuming the confusion comes from the symmetry of the macro object, the sphere. But at the atomic level, the magnet is not symmetric.

I suppose you could (somehow) design it so that the the dipoles all point away or toward the center... not sure what would happen there...

 

[DaleSwanson]

http://www.amasci.com/amateur/neospher.html

I can attest they are quite fun.

 

[pseudophonist]

I suspect the author of the question was asking about a hollow spherical magnet where the inner surface is the south pole and the outer is the north pole thus emulating a magnetic monopole.