Ok...this is odd!! (shielding)

[pese]

@D.M.

jes DM
you have find it.
3 Magnets are on sourface with 6 poles.
Paperclip will short this.

I have to try it to explain before some days
in my unpolished english

Pese

[Dingus Mungus]

Well that would explain what creedo is expirencing then, the magnetic flux is travelling through the closest conductor to the nearest opposite pole. This means the paper clips on the outside of the concave metal dish and too far away because the flux has already found a shorter path to travel from pole to pole.

[hartiberlin]

The magnetic flux always travels the shortest possible distance. In this case it just goes via the metal lid and the airgap to its other pole, so on the other side of the metal there is no flux coming out. It just travels entirely inside the metal. So the paper clips fall off.

[Dingus Mungus]

The magnetic flux always travels the shortest possible distance. In this case it just goes via the metal lid and the airgap to its other pole, so on the other side of the metal there is no flux coming out. It just travels entirely inside the metal. So the paper clips fall off.

Not always though Stefan, that only happens when the object can handle the flux saturation, if its satuation point of the metal is to low or its mass is too low it wont fully absorb the field and some will escape the otherside. If you simuate this in FEMM you will see some of the flux lines do escape its just not dense enough to saturate the paper clip. I highly suggest anyone interested in magnetism go an download FEMM free here: http://femm.foster-miller.net/