When a permanent magnet (or an electromagnet) comes across a magnetizable material (for now ignore diamagnetic materials and anti-ferromagnetic materials -- paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, and ferrimagnetic materials are abundantly used), it coerces the magnetizable material's magnetic dipoles to align with the externally applied magnetic field. In electrostatics, by contrast, an externally applied electric field will make the electric dipoles in a dielectric align against the externally applied electric field. In the extreme case of an ideal conductor, the plus (+) and minus (-) charges separate so as to completely screen out the externally applied electric field.
So why is it that magnetic flux lines cause magnet dipoles to align with the externally applied magnetic field while electric flux lines cause electric dipoles to align against the externally applied magnetic field?
So why is it that magnetic flux lines cause magnet dipoles to align with the externally applied magnetic field while electric flux lines cause electric dipoles to align against the externally applied magnetic field?