B. The energy stored in the system first increases and then decreases.
When the north and south poles of two magnets are attached to each other, they have potential energy stored in them due to their magnetic attraction. When the student pulls the poles apart, they do work to overcome this attraction and increase the potential energy of the system. The energy stored in the system increases as the poles are pulled apart to a distance of 10 cm. However, if the student releases the poles, they will come back together due to the magnetic attraction, which will cause the potential energy of the system to decrease. Therefore, the energy stored in the system first increases and then decreases.
The north and south poles of two magnets are attached to each other. A student pulls the poles apart and holds them at a distance of 10 cm. How does the energy stored in the system change?
A. Then energy stored in the system decreases.
B. The energy stored in the system first increases and then decreases.
C. The energy stored in the system does not change.
D. The energy stored in the system increases.
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