Lesson T5.3.1

T5.3.1 Magnetic poles and field lines Quiz: KS3 Physics, Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T5.3.1, Magnetic poles and field lines: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Physics (National Curriculum), Unit 5: Electricity and magnetism, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which pair of magnetic poles attract each other?

    • North and north
    • Two magnets of equal size
    • South and south
    • North and south

  2. What happens when two like magnetic poles are brought together?

    • They repel each other
    • They stick together permanently
    • They attract each other
    • They have no effect at all

  3. Which way do magnetic field lines point outside a bar magnet?

    • In circles around the magnet's centre
    • From the north pole to the south pole
    • Only towards the north pole
    • From the south pole to the north pole

  4. Where is a bar magnet's field strongest?

    • In the middle of the magnet, where the poles meet each other
    • Equally strong all along its length from one end to the other
    • Near its poles, where the field lines are closest together
    • Far away from both ends, where the lines spread out most widely

  5. A plotting compass placed in a magnetic field lines up with the field. What does its needle show at that point?

    • The position of the magnet's centre
    • The strength of the field at that point
    • The weight of the magnet
    • The direction of the field at that point

  6. Which of these can magnetic field lines never do?

    • Form closed loops around a magnet
    • Cross each other
    • Show the direction of the field
    • Join the north and south poles

  7. Which of these materials is attracted to a magnet?

    • Aluminium
    • Plastic
    • Iron
    • Copper

  8. A steel bar held near a magnet becomes a magnet itself. What is this called?

    • Electrostatic charging
    • Static friction
    • Induced magnetism
    • Thermal expansion

  9. What happens when a bar magnet is cut in half?

    • The two pieces repel each other permanently
    • One piece has only a north pole and the other only a south pole
    • Both pieces lose their magnetism entirely
    • Each piece becomes a magnet with its own north and south pole

  10. Two bar magnets are placed with the south pole of one touching the north pole of the other. What happens?

    • They repel and move apart
    • Nothing happens because they are touching
    • They attract and stick together
    • They rotate until both face north

  11. What does the field between two unlike poles facing each other look like?

    • Lines curve away from each other and never reach the other pole
    • Lines run straight from the north pole to the south pole
    • There are no field lines in that region because the poles repel
    • Lines form closed circles that loop around each of the two poles

  12. Why can a magnet attract paper clips through a sheet of paper?

    • Magnetic forces can act through non-magnetic materials such as paper
    • The paper becomes magnetised by the magnet and then pulls the clips up
    • Paper clips are coated in a special magnetic plastic that sticks to paper
    • The magnet heats the paper, which then softens and lifts the clips up

  13. What is the region around a magnet where magnetic forces can be felt called?

    • A gravitational field
    • A nuclear field
    • A magnetic field
    • An electric field

  14. Which tool is used to plot the shape of a magnetic field?

    • A voltmeter for voltage
    • A plotting compass
    • A newtonmeter for weight
    • A thermometer for heat

  15. Why does a magnet's field get weaker the further away you move from it?

    • Gravity cancels out the magnetic force
    • The magnet loses its magnetism slowly
    • The field lines spread out over a larger area
    • Air blocks the field lines

  16. Which material is most suitable for making a permanent magnet?

    • Rubber
    • Copper
    • Aluminium
    • Steel

  17. How many poles does every magnet have, however small it is?

    • Two, a north pole and a south pole
    • Four poles, two north and two south
    • One south pole only, with no north
    • One north pole only, with no south

  18. Why do several compass needles placed near a magnet point in different directions?

    • Each needle is attracted to the nearest pole only
    • Each needle lines up with the field lines at its own position
    • Each needle has a different weight
    • The needles are magnetised at random

  19. Inside a bar magnet, which way do the field lines point?

    • Outward in all directions
    • From its north pole to its south pole
    • From its south pole to its north pole
    • Nowhere, because the field exists only outside

  20. A bar magnet is hung from a thread so that it can turn freely. Roughly which way does it settle?

    • North and south
    • Straight up towards the sky
    • Towards the nearest wall
    • East and west

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