Where Are the Poles of a Flat Refrigerator Magnet?

[overlook1977]

I have a flat rectangular refrigerator magnet. I was curious to where the N S poles were, so I took a standard bar magnet to it to find them. Curiously, the bar magnet does not seem to be repelled at any place of the refrig magnet. Where would the poles be on a flat, bendable refrig magnet?

 

[Danger]

This is no expert response; I don't actually know the answer. Having worked with the stupid things, however, I have a suspicion.
I used to make fridge magnets, screen-printing a design and then cutting out the shape. When stacking them for packaging, they like to slide around on each other just a bit and then settle down. That leads me to think that north and south domains alternate across the surface, quite close together, as if you had hundreds of bar magnets standing on end in a checkerboard pattern.

 

[Doc Al]

That leads me to think that north and south domains alternate across the surface, quite close together, as if you had hundreds of bar magnets standing on end in a checkerboard pattern.

You have the right idea, almost. The poles are all on the same side, like alternating horseshoe magnets--very clever, making only one side "sticky". Check this out: http://mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/background/fridgemag/index.html"

 

[Danger]

Wow... that's even weirder than I thought. I kinda like that 'worm gear' thing that the guy made, but I can't imagine it transferring much more torque than is needed to just turn the 'pinion'.

 

[cesiumfrog]

Neat, wonder if I can find enough such fridge magnets to try that gear thing..

 

[KingNothing]

Wow... that's even weirder than I thought. I kinda like that 'worm gear' thing that the guy made, but I can't imagine it transferring much more torque than is needed to just turn the 'pinion'.

Please provide a Link?

 

[Danger]

Please provide a Link?

It's in Doc's link. Just scroll down a bit.