Exploring Magnetic Fields: Is the Plate Affecting My Magnet?

[neodymium]

Hello all!, first post here we go!

I was hoping someone could answer a question for me because I can’t find the answer online. Or maybe point me to a magnetic field’s for dummies website..

I’ve been playing with a neodymium magnet shaped like a coin for a few days (yes easily occupied) and I’ve noticed, when I stand the magnet up on its edge, on a flat, ferrous metal plate, I can rotate it quite easily, the plate is about 10mm thick and has smooth rounded edges. When I stand the magnet on the rounded edge of the plate, the N S poles snap, a-posed to the length of material.. (heads N, tails S) and it’s much harder to rotate, why is this? Does the magnet induce a second magnetic field in the edges of the metal plate?

Thanks for taking the time

 

[Baluncore]

When the magnet is on it's edge, in the middle of the plate, the field is symmetrical. There is no change in field on rotation.
When the magnet is on it's edge, stuck to the edge of the metal sheet, the nearby metal is NOT symmetric so the magnet should self align across the edge. Attempting to rotate the magnet will change the magnetic field to be out of alignment with the edge when the field will be more stretched.