You have nothing else besides those two things.
2007-01-12 06:40:54 · 10 answers · asked by madeulo0k 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
If they are both bar-shaped then touch the middle of one of the bars with the end of the other. A magnet will pick up an iron bar at the mid point, but the iron bar will not pick up the magnet at the mid point.
HTH
Charles
2007-01-12 06:46:49 · answer #1 · answered by Charles 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Believe it or not, this used to be part of a question in a final exam (an oral exam) for ship captains, a long time ago (I'm not that old, am I?)
intel_knight has the answer.
The original question stated that both objects were shaped like very long and narrow cylindrical rods (we called them "needles" in ship magnetism), looked the same (texture, colour...), and you were not allowed to use anything else than the two needles to solve the problem (no tooth filling, no coins, no extra magnets...).
If you were to hang them on strings, both would line up with Earth's field: the magnet because of its properties, the iron by induction (it could be inducted by the field and become a "soft" magnet).
As far as I know (and unless you have fillings or some other strange material in your mouth), magnetism should not cause a difference in taste.
If you could analyse the material, I guess you could eventually identify which one is not pure iron (which makes poor permanent magnets). The magnetic domains in pure iron tend to disalign themselves too easily. On a ship,s compass binnacle, there are two spheres of soft iron to keep the Earth's field more stable around the compass (to correct for the effects of the steel ship). Whenever the spheres became magnetised, every once in a while, we'd roll them on a steel deck: the shocks of bouncing around would randomize the magnetic domains in the spheres (they would de-magnetize).
2007-01-12 15:23:20 · answer #2 · answered by Raymond 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Since you have not said what the shape of the objects is, they could be spheres or horseshoes, or discs… The only way I know of to be absolutely positive is to separate the two items and break one of them into two pieces. If you break a 1,000 Gauss magnet into two pieces, you'll have two 1,000 Gauss magnets – but the poles will instantly reverse upon breaking. Now, take the two broken pieces and get them close to each other and observe the reactions, or lack thereof. If they attract and repel each other depending on their orientation, then you have the magnet. If they do not react to each other, you have the iron.
2007-01-16 11:51:35 · answer #3 · answered by ericscribener 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The magnetic object with tend to swing according the the earths magnetic field the other will not. By floating the object or swinging from a thread or by any other method of allowing it to move freely the magnetic object will move, the non magnetic object will stay still
2007-01-12 14:54:45 · answer #4 · answered by Mike 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
REPULSION. A magnet and a non-magnet as well as two magnets will attract. So that cant help to differentiate. However a non magnet and a magnet will still attract, yet different poles would mean that a magnet and a magnet will also REPEL.
So take another magnet, and test when they repel, so it means there is a magnet
2007-01-12 15:25:23 · answer #5 · answered by ღ♥ღ latoya 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Touch the end of each object to the middle part of another.
iron will not be attracted to middle part of the magnet.
2007-01-12 14:46:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
The magnet must be a little bit heavy then the iron. This is the difference between them. Or the color: The magnet is much more dark
2007-01-12 14:57:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
See which one sticks to the fridge.
2007-01-12 14:48:53 · answer #8 · answered by swmiller888 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Who cares? You can't eat either of them.
2007-01-12 14:48:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
taste them
2007-01-12 14:45:25 · answer #10 · answered by HEYYEAH! 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋