what is the shape of the magnetic field around a bar magnet?
The lines of magnetic field from a bar magnet form closed lines. By convention, the field direction is taken to be outward from the North pole and in to the South pole of the magnet. Permanent magnets can be made from ferromagnetic materials. The magnetic field lines of a bar magnet can be traced out with the use of a compass. The needle of a compass is itself a permanent magnet and the north indicator of the compass is a magnetic north pole. The north pole of a magnet will tend to line up with the magnetic field, so a suspended compas needle will rotate until it lines up with the magnetic field. Unlike magnetic poles attract, so the north indicator of the compass will point toward the south pole of a magnet. In response to the Earth's magnetic field, the compass will point toward the geographic North Pole of the Earth because it is in fact a magnetic south pole. The magnetic field lines of the Earth enter the Earth near the geographic North Pole.
One easy way to accomplish this is to sprinkle iron shavings in the vacinity of the bar. The shavings will allign themselves in the shape of the magnetic field.
very similar to an egg shape. magnetif field lines leave the north to go to the south pole. the stronger the magnet the further from the magnet the lines reach
