How Can You Weaken the Strength of a Standard Magnet?

[RestlessMind]

So, with this iron/soft steel placing, I can just stick a piece of the metal on the end of it and it will make it weaker? Just like that? How much weaker? Would it affect the other side of the magnet? Would it affect other magnets that aren't touching the magnet with the metal attached?

 

[Phrak]

Anything that will spread the field on one end will make the field stength weaker on that end. The opposite end will be slightly weakened by a plate on the end because it acts to partially short the field. Other magnets in proximity will also effect the field in an endcap.

How close are other magnets, and what are some of the disances involved?

 

[RestlessMind]

Endcap?

I think the other magnets will be about an inch away, maybe an inch and a half. But I could probably push it to 2 or maybe even 2.5 because of the fact that these are neodymium and very strong...

 

[Phrak]

Endcap?

I think the other magnets will be about an inch away, maybe an inch and a half. But I could probably push it to 2 or maybe even 2.5 because of the fact that these are neodymium and very strong...

OK What are the dimensions of the magnet would you intend to use?

 

[RestlessMind]

.25 x .25 x .5 inches.

 

[Phrak]

By end cap I meant the piece of iron.

This is all visual guess-work on what the fields lines would look like. I would find some annealed steel .125 thick. Or hot rolled stock. You probably don't have a mill or grinder so find some bar-stock 1/8 x 3/4 and cut 3/4 inch off the end. Cap one pole with this. Alternately you could find a large scrap transformer and use the core material stacked 1/8th inch thick. This might prove better, as you can add or subtract pieces to make it thicker or thinner.

 

[RestlessMind]

How much do you think it would take the weaken the field to 50% strength, for example? And what is the ratio between how much I weaken one pole to how much the other is therefore weakened somewhat (if that's even possible to know)?

 

[Phrak]

How much do you think it would take the weaken the field to 50% strength, for example? And what is the ratio between how much I weaken one pole to how much the other is therefore weakened somewhat (if that's even possible to know)?

That's what the dimensions I gave you were for. My guesstimate at what it would take to make one end half the field density, or field strength, of the other.

Come to think of it, given the distance of your other magnets, make it an inch square, and 1/8 thick.

 

[RestlessMind]

Well that is less than I thought. Thank you very much for answering all these questions. ^_^,

 

[Phrak]

Good luck.

 

[Bruanon50]

I took a hard drive apart and found a very strong magnet in it. Two pieces of metal material were sandwiched to it. I was able to slide one of the pieces of metal off of the magnet, I think the other was bonded to it with an adhesive of some kind. At any rate the open side of the magnet maintains a very strong attraction, the side with the metal bonded to it has a much weaker attraction quality although still existent. I also found that the poles were arranged in a manner I have not until this point experienced. After further experimentation I found the a similar effect, if I place a piece of wood between to magnets. The field is weekend or dampened.