Are 2 bar magnets stuck together, twice as strong?

[pkc111]

Can 2 bar magnets be stuck together to create a magnetic field about twice as strong?

 

[mfb]

No. It can get stronger at some points, depending on the arrangement, but it won't get twice as strong anywhere. You mainly create a larger magnet.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Can 2 bar magnets be stuck together to create a magnetic field about twice as strong?

It depends what you mean by "strong" and what the application happens to be. If one magnet will lift a 1kg block then two magnets, side by side, will very likely be able to lift 2kg. But the Magnetic Field may not change. What can happen is that the magnetic Flux Density will act over twice the area, giving twice the Flux acting on the block.

 

[pkc111]

Why don't the fields add together like vectors and form double the flux density? Like 2 charges at the same point do in an electric field.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Why don't the fields add together like vectors and form double the flux density? Like 2 charges at the same point do in an electric field.

It can be double the flux or more flux density over the same area, depending on the patterns of the fields over the ends of the individual magnets. The "charges" you refer to would not be at exactly the same point (infinite repulsive force) but, just as with the magnetic poles, the effect would be spread out. At a reasonable distance was, the fields would be double.

 

[pkc111]

There are conflicting opinions here...2 say no change in flux density...1 says there will be..Any more opinions please? With a reference please

 

[sophiecentaur]

This link could help you, I think. Do the calculation for a particular width W and then for 2W. Equating two magnets to one wide magnet would be a reasonable thing to do.

 

[mfb]

The peak magnetic field strength won't change much, the magnetic field strength far away can nearly double.

There is no conflict between the statements, they just apply to different places.

 

[willem2]

The peak magnetic field strength won't change much, the magnetic field strength far away can nearly double.

There is no conflict between the statements, they just apply to different places.

The field strength can even go down. If you take the field strength on the axis of a cylindrical magnet, with thickness 1, at a distance of 1 and with radius R, this will have a maximum for R ≈ 2.066. The contribution of the extra material at the edge of the magnet wil become negative if the radius is larger than that.

If you type in 1/2*((D+z)/sqrt(R**2+(D+z)**2) - z/sqrt(R**2+z**2)), D=1, z=1 in wolfram alpha you can click on the result with only R as a variable to make a plot and compute the minima/maxima.
https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/...=1&rawformassumption="ClashPrefs"+->+{"Math"}.