274 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 
as you can never in reality thus detach your north magnet- 
ism from its neighbor. But supposing us to have done so, 
what would be the action of the two poles of the magnet 
on n f Your reply will of course be that the pole s attracts 
n while the pole N repels it. Let the magnitude and direc- 
tion of the attraction be expressed by the line n m, and the 
magnitude and direction of the repulsion by the line n o. 
Now, the particle n being equally distant from s and N, 
the line n o, expressing the repulsion, will be equal to m n, 
which expresses the attraction. Acted upon by two such 
forces, the particle n must evidently move in the direction 
n p, exactly midway between m n and n o. Hence you see 
that although there is no tendency of the particle n to 
move toward the magnetic equator, there is a tendency on 
its part to move parallel to the magnet. If, instead of a 
particle of north magnetism, we placed a particle of south 
magnetism opposite to the magnetic equator, it would evi- 
s i- i i ir 
Fio. 11. 
dently be urged along the line n q; and if, instead of two 
separate particles of magnetism we place a little magnetic 
needle, containing both north and south magnetism, opposite 
the magnetic equator, its south pole being urged along 
n q, and its north along n p, the little needle will be com- 
pelled to set itself parallel to the magnet s N. Make 
the experiment, and satisfy yourselves that this is a true 
deduction. 
Substitute for your magnetic needle a bit of iron wire, 
devoid of permanent magnetism, and it will set itself 
exactly as the needle does. Acted upon by the magnet, 
the wire, as you know, becomes a magnet and behaves as 
such; it will turn its north pole toward p, and south pole 
toward q, just like the needle. 
But supposing you shift the position of your particle 
of north magnetism, and bring it nearer to one end of 
