Question

You are given two similar bars. One is a magnet and the other is of soft iron. How will you distinguish and identify them ?

Answer 1

Take first bar and suspend it in a stand with the help of a thread. So that it is free to rotate in horizontal plane. Note the direction in which it sets itself. If the direction is North and South it may be magnet. Again rotate it, if this time again it sets itself in north and south direction, it is a magnet, otherwise it is iron.
Now repeat above experiment with second bar and in the same way find it if it sets always in north and south direction then it will be a magnet.