Magnet Myths and Misconceptions

[TechStuf]

Ah, MH and right on cue.  And as predictably neophytic as ever.


And so it begins....


I'll leave you to it then.





P.S.  If you guys can muster up even half the excitement as the TA vortex extravaganza, then I and my popcorn supply will hold out nicely.

[MileHigh]

Sorry there TS but I am sensing that you are backing out.

Who says mass produced magnets have perfect symmetry in their polarization when they are manufactured?  Does the magnet manufacturer actually go to all of the trouble and expense to do that?  What about all of the experimentation done on the forums with magnets?  For example, one end of a magnet wrapped in a coil that pulses?  Can't external disturbances like that knock some of the magnetic domains in different directions if the disturbances are strong enough?

There is your explanation for your asymmetry when you compare N-N opposition vs. S-S opposition.  Ah, but I am assuming that never occurred to you.  I have never seen that posted anywhere.  Likewise, for all these years you have probably looked at "North" and "South" as separate and distinct entities, when in fact they don't even exist.

Thought experiment:  You walk into a large empty room and there is a single vertical wire in the center of the room going from the floor to the ceiling.  There is one amp of current flowing through the wire.  You have your trusty compass in your hand.  Where is the "North" pole in this setup?  Where is the "South" pole in this setup?

That's an example of you being a neophyte.  So my advice to you is to listen to what Poynt has to say and do some follow-up research on your own.

[poynt99]

You couldn't have started this topic yourself, Poynt99?

I did indeed ask Stefan to create this topic for me, well for everyone actually. 

[Pirate88179]

I did indeed ask Stefan to create this topic for me, well for everyone actually. 

Darren:

Great topic and, I have a question.  About 8 years ago, for reasons unknown to me, I decided to superglue two neo mag disks together with their opposing poles facing each other.  (I can't recall if it was NN or SS, or if I even checked)  These were very strong magnets and resisted my attempts force them to do this.  I finally put the glue on the surfaces and worked them together and placed them into a vice until the glue cured.  The following day, I checked out the "new" magnet I created and was shocked to learn that all I had was a thicker neo with a north and south pole.  Nothing else was different about it at all.  I don't really remember what I was hoping to see but, this was not it.  I was probably trying to make a magnet with 2 poles that were the same. To make matters worse, a few days later I dropped it on the floor and the disks separated.  Each disk had a normal north and south pole.  I just assumed that when glued together over night, somehow the poles realigned or something.  But this did not seem to be the case.

I have always wondered why this was over the years so, I just thought I might ask over here.  If I did not explain what I did clear enough, let me know and I will try again.

Thanks,

Bill

[poynt99]

Bill,

My first question would be, when the magnets separated are you quite sure both were at their original orientation of N to S? Or did one flip polarities?

I've glued two of those radio shack flexible magnets (about 1/8" thick) back to back and eventually, one had a magnetic "bubble" (a round zone of opposite polarity to the rest of the magnet) in it when I separated them later.

I have worked with magnetizing guitar pickup magnets (Alnico) and also slightly demagnetizing them by bringing a neodymium close to them. If you are not careful and get too close, the alnico magnet will suddenly flip poles and be fully magnetized in the opposite direction.