If a bar magnet is accidentally broken into three pieces as shown in the diagram above, the polarities of P and Q respectively are

If a bar magnet is accidentally broken into three pieces as shown in the diagram above, the polarities of P and Q respectively are

Answer Details

When a bar magnet is broken, each piece of the magnet will become an independent magnet with its own north (N) and south (S) pole. To determine the polarities of P and Q, we can use the fact that opposite poles of a magnet attract each other, while like poles repel each other. Looking at the diagram, we can see that P is attracted to the south pole of the larger piece of the magnet, indicating that P must have a north pole. Similarly, Q is attracted to the north pole of the larger piece of the magnet, indicating that Q must have a south pole. Therefore, the correct answer is (B) N and S.