Editing Magnet (section)

=== Fields of a magnet ===
[[Image:VFPt four magnets.svg|thumb|Field lines of cylindrical magnets with various aspect ratios]]
Far away from a magnet, the magnetic field created by that magnet is almost always described (to a good approximation) by a [[dipole|dipole field]] characterized by its total magnetic moment. This is true regardless of the shape of the magnet, so long as the magnetic moment is non-zero. One characteristic of a dipole field is that the strength of the field falls off inversely with the cube of the distance from the magnet's center.

Closer to the magnet, the magnetic field becomes more complicated and more dependent on the detailed shape and magnetization of the magnet. Formally, the field can be expressed as a [[multipole expansion]]: A dipole field, plus a [[quadrupole|quadrupole field]], plus an octupole field, etc.

At close range, many different fields are possible. For example, for a long, skinny bar magnet with its north pole at one end and south pole at the other, the magnetic field near either end falls off inversely with [[Inverse-square law|the square of the distance]] from that pole.