File talk:VFPt Dipole field.svg

The north pole and south pole on this is confusing since the magnetic poles they correspond to are the opposite poles. This diagram is true with the south and north poles of earth. (At least for an idealized magnetic field of earth). Magnetic field lines point toward magnetic south poles and away from magnetic north poles.

The confusion comes from the fact that earth's magnetic north pole is actually a south pole of earth's magnetic field. The north pole of a compass points both toward earth's magnetic north pole and toward the south pole of a magnet.

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