can an electromagnet repel?

Question

can a simple nail electromagnet repel (or push anythng away from it.

Answer 1

Electromagnet Experiment

Answer 2

An electromagnet can be made by wrapping a coil of wire around a nail and passing an electric current through the wire. However, the current can be DC (direct current from a battery) or AC (alternating current from a transformer). A DC electromagnet will produce a North pole at one end of the nail and a South pole at the other end. The North end of the nail can repel the North (like) end of a permanent magnet or DC electromagnet. Each end of the nail will attract (not repel) a piece of iron by inducing magnetism in the sample.

An AC electromagnet will produce a North and South pole at each end of the nail at the same frequency the current alternates (60 cycle per second for house current). The end of the nail will alternately attract and repel the North or South pole of a permanent magnet (perhaps causing vibration). Two AC electromagnets will repel or attract each other depending on whether the ends in contact are the same or opposite polarity at the same time. An AC electromagnet will attract (but not repel) a piece of iron.

Answer 3

It can push away another magnetic source as long as you have opposing poles.