Suspend two short pieces of iron wire, so that they will hang in
contact in a vertical position. If the north pole of a magnet be now
brought to a moderate distance between the wires, they will recede from
each other.
The ends being made south poles by induction from the north pole, will
repel each other, and so will the north poles. This separation of the
wires will increase as the magnet approaches them, but there will be
a particular distance at which the attractive force overcomes the
repulsive force of the poles, and causes the wires to converge.