Magnetic Field Lines
A visual map of an invisible force
Summary
Magnetic field lines make visible the invisible pattern of force around a magnet. The lines always leave the N pole and enter the S pole. Drag the test compass to see the direction and strength of the field at every point.
In depth
A magnetic field is a vector field that forms around magnets and moving electric charges. It is invisible but real: sprinkle iron filings and the field lines appear by themselves. At each point the field vector shows the direction of the force that would act on a north pole there. The lines crowd together at the poles (strong field) and spread out in between (weak field). The mathematical model of a bar magnet is the magnetic dipole, and the field at every point in space is calculated with the dipole formula. The Earth itself behaves like a giant bar magnet, which is why a compass needle points roughly north.
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