I am making a small wind turbine and I got magnets but it doesn't say which side is north and which side is south.

AND I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND IT SAYS IF U WANT YOUR TURBINE TO WORK THEY HAVE TO BE ALL FACING NORTH OR ALL SOUTH

I am not sure but I think you use a compass or something else

Plzz help

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... I think you use a compass...

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Sounds like a plan to me.

But I don't know how to do it because I already got a compass

A compass will tell you the poles.
North needle of a compass(which is south)attracts to a north pole, and even the North Pole.
Opposites attract.

Yep a compass should be used.

If you have a compass it's easy remember opposits attrack sames repell. If you bring the magnet near the north pole of the compass and it swings away that's the north ploe if it follows the maget as you move it around the compass it's the south ploe of the magnet.

Capichun is correct for now, didn't have to leave a negative but HAD to. Could have just corrected my statement.
The poles swap every 100-200,000 years.
What is near the Geographic North Pole, a Magnetic North or a Magnetic South?

Sound like, what came first the chicken or the egg.
This case the compass must have been first, or else the north pole would be north charged?
Wonder if many civilizations being North of the equator considered they were on top of the world(northern half). Maybe our maps and Globes should be upside down, so the north pole is at the North pole.
I think they made a mistake and could never correct it, north pole up?

If you didn't have a compass, you could still try to make your bar magnets swing freely, with a thread, or by placing it on a light and flat floating material, which is on still water.

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Originally Posted by Stratmando

Sound like, what came first the chicken or the egg.
This case the compass must have been first, or else the north pole would be north charged?
Wonder if many civilizations being North of the equator considered they were on top of the world(northern half). Maybe our maps and Globes should be upside down, so the north pole is at the North pole.
I think they made a mistake and could never correct it, north pole up?

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They defined the direction toward the north pole as north in geographical terms. Then they defined the point of the magnetic compass that pointed towards north as magnetic north. There is no mistake, just 2 different definitions of north. The north geographical pole is a south magnetic pole.

Also you should look into the guidelines for using the reputation system. I was simply showing to the OP that your answer was not factually correct, whereas your retaliation reddie was misplaced and now I had to explain in that topic why my answer was still correct (plus there was clarification further down the page in that topic! ). Sorry if I damaged your e-persona.

I thought the reds for Newbies. I don't give them, even if deserved, had several given to me by mistake. I sometimes give one when others feel generous. They are not accurate.

TRY THIS...
Take a coated wire with bare ends and coil it up. Touch the bare ends to the opposite ends of a battery. The coil is now an electromagnet. The electrons coming from the negative (-) end of the battery flow through the wire to the positive (+) end of the battery. Depending on which end of the coil you are looking at, the electrons will move clockwise or counterclockwise. If the coil is sitting with its axis vertical, and the electrons are passing through the coil in a clockwise direction, then the top of the coil is the north pole end. It will attract the south end of your unmarked magnet and repel the north end.

Read more:http://www.ehow.com/

Since tey all need to be North OR South, use 1 magnet for a reference to identify all but the reference magnet. Then check the polarity of the last magnet using one of the identified ones as your new reference.

I think that you should figure out which place is north or south using a compass and then you get your answer. That is how I think will test which side of the magnet.