There are several ways to identify the poles of a magnet, the simplest is to use a compass, or an analogue or digital pole identifier. If you have a smartphone, you can also download our Virtual Pole Tester app, which will identify the polarity of the face of a magnet pointing at your phone.

If using a compass to identify the pole of a magnet, it is vital to remember that the north pole of a magnet points towards the Earth’s geographic North Pole, which is actually close to the Earth’s magnetic south pole. This is why when you hold a compass to a magnet the needle will point to its south pole using the convention that like poles repel and opposite poles attract.