Explain the following:
The north end of a freely suspended magnetic needle gets attracted towards a piece of soft iron placed a little distance away from the needle.

When the north end of a freely suspended magnetic needle is placed near a piece of soft iron, the nearer end of the piece acquires an opposite polarity by magnetic induction.

Since unlike poles attract each other, therefore the iron piece is attracted towards the end of the magnet. Thus, the piece of iron first becomes a magnet by induction and then it is attracted.