Explain why a freely suspended magnet always point jn the north south direction
Answers
It doesn't. It points to the magnetic north pole, which is near but not exactly at the geographical north pole.
Furthermore, there's a labeling error that has become conventional. When the compass was invented, the end of it that pointed north was called the north end of the needle, and it is said to point to the north magnetic pole. But this is actually wrong. Magnets are attracted to their polar opposite. So if we call the end of the needle that points north the north end, then the actual location it's pointing to must be magnetically (by not physically) south. But we still call it the north magnetic pole because it's at the north end of the Earth.
The Earth's magnetic field is caused by all the super-hot iron in its outer core spinning as it rotates. The poles of the Earth's magnetic field are fairly near the actual geographical north and south pole, so it can be used to approximate where north is. If you need real precision, you have to know your latitude and longitude on the Earth to figure out the difference between magnetic north and true north. This is called magnetic declination, and it isn't always the same because the magnetic poles of the Earth wander around. They're not even exactly opposite each other!
Global positioning systems have made the whole issue moot, but these issues used to be critical for navigators.
HOPE IT HELPS........
This behaviour of suspended magnet is responsible because of the magnetic field of earth. Below the crust of earth magma and core are present which consists molten form of many metals and other minerals. Now in molten form the atoms of metal are present in form of ions( charge) . Due to rotation of earth this charged ions also moves in circular form constituting an electric current , due to which magnetic field is created, directing from south pole to north pole ( of earth) outside the earth.
Thus it can assumed that a equivalent bar magnet is kept inside the earth whose south pole is located near earth’s north pole and vice versa.
Now when a magnet is suspended it is attracted by the magnetic field of earth and north pole of suspended magnet is pointed towards north ( which actually act as south pole of earth's magnetic field). Using this principle only magnetic compass are created to determine direction.