You have two identical looking metal bars. One of them is a magnet, with North and South ends. The other is simply an iron bar (which is attracted by magnets).

How can you tell which is which, using only these two bars?

If you move one bar over the other as described in the Hutchinson Encyclopedia, it seems to me that the moving bar could magnetize the stationary bar, but not vice versa. That would distinguish the two bars after any magnetization had occurred.

But maybe I just flunked the "bar" exam by saying this.

Posted by Penny on 2005-01-25 17:04:26