Electromagnets also have two poles like a bar magnet. When an electric current is passed through a conducting wire coiled around an iron nail, one end of the nail becomes the North pole of the magnet, and the other end of the nail becomes the South pole of the magnet. This can be shown by bringing the North pole of a compass needle near two ends (one by one) of the nail, while current is flowing, and observing its deflection in each case. The property of magnets that ‘like poles repel each other’ shows that the electromagnets also have two poles like a bar magnet.