how would a bar magnet orient itself relative to this planet's magnetic field?
Answers
The magnetic field around the earth runs through the center of the earth and has the positive end at the arctic pole and the positive end at the antarctic pole
magnets have north and south poles ( positive and negative) that means that they align themselves with the negative end pointing north and the positive end pointing south
that is right --but any compass you have the N is pointed on the negative end and that is the direction where the north is
There is a magnetic pole in the earth and the magnetic pole of the earth runs via the equator and it has both the ends at the artic pole and the Antarctic pole. The magnetic positive field or the north pole is located in the artic area. And the south pole is located in the Antarctic area. Any magnet which is free to rotate if suspended on the surface of the earth will allign itself with the magnetic field of the earth. And that's how the bar magnet orient itself relative to this planet's magnetic field.