Answer: Along the north-south direction.
- A Along the east-west direction
- B Vertically up and down
- C In a random horizontal direction
- D Along the north-south direction
Correct answer: D. Along the north-south direction
Explanation: A freely suspended bar magnet aligns itself roughly along the geographic north-south direction due to Earth's magnetic field, which is how early compasses worked.
Magnetic field lines form closed loops: outside the bar magnet they run from the N pole to the S pole; inside, they continue from S back to N, so the lines never start or end anywhere.
Concept context
Bar magnets, Earth's magnetism, and how different materials respond to an external magnetic field - diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic behaviour.