When a bar magnet is broken into two pieces, let's consider what happens at the atomic level. Each atom of a material capable of being magnetized acts like a tiny magnet with a north and south pole. In a whole bar magnet, the tiny magnets are aligned in such a way that they contribute to the overall north and south poles of the bar.
Now, when the bar magnet is broken:
1. The tiny magnets within the material do not lose their alignment.
2. Each smaller piece will still consist of aligned atoms, each acting as its own mini-magnet.
Consequently, what occurs is that each of the smaller fragments will have their own north and south poles. The end of the segment that was originally connected to the south pole of the original magnet will become the new south pole for that smaller fragment, while the end that was connected to the north pole will become the new north pole. The same process occurs for the other segment.
Therefore, in a situation where a bar magnet is broken:
- Each of the two segments of the original bar magnet will have a north and south pole.
So, the correct answer is:
B. Each of the two segments of the original bar magnet will have a north and south pole.
