magnetic jewelry

[mollykins]

How come a magnetic bracelet/ necklace my friend got me has little magnets, of which any can 'stick' to any other? It doesn't make sense?

[woofgang]

what doesn't make sense Molls?

[bednobs]

isn't that what magnets do?

[society]

Isn't that what magnets suppose to do? Stick to each other?

[mollykins]

Non of them repel each other, shouldn't it be that half with stick to half and repel the others?

[mollykins]

*will, not with.

It's one of those long strings of beads that have little magnetic beads so you can wrap it round you and they hold them selves in place.

[Buenchico]

I assume that the magnets are arranged so that the polarities of two facing surfaces are always opposite to each other.

[MickyMacgraw]

Like these?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EqLreywjTY

[mollykins]

But hows that possible chico, when any magnet will attract to any other?

[vascop]

What shape are these magnets and how big are they? If you put two small magnets near to each other they will twist until opposite poles, which attract, are together. By holding them, one in each hand and twist them around you should be able to find a position where they will repel each other. Try it and let us know what you find.

[mollykins]

Kind of micky, but the jewelry isn't made up entirely of magnets and there's string threaded through the middle of all the beads, even the magnets, to keep them together.

[boxtops]

Too right molly, my sister had one of these as a bracelet and there were no strings, she found herself sticking to door locks, and metal bolts in pub tables, and all sorts. Each little bead is polarised so each acts as a magnet in its own right.

[mollykins]

They're like 1/4 inch long hexoids (is that even a word?) aha, there are sides of them that don't really attract or repel each other, but because they are so small and thus, very close to the bits that want to be together, they automatically twist, to stick together.

[vascop]

sorry posted while the others were posting. You will find that what is happening is that the little spheres turn so that they are like little earths with opposite poles next to each other:
(N-S )<->(N-S)<->etc etc
Notice that each end has an opposite pole so that if you bend a line of spheres round into a circle the ends will attract

[mollykins]

You can't really do that with this due to the position and shape of the magnets compared with the other beads.

[vascop]

Whatever the situation remember that all magnets must have a north and south pole.

[beso]

Magnets come in many different patterns of polarisation and a re not limited to a single pair of poles.

Some magnets have alternating N and S poles in a row on the same face. When sticking to another similar magnet they will align their poles by moving laterally with respect to each other. The hexoids probably have three pairs of poles.

Others have one pole in the centre and the other as a donut around the outside.

[mollykins]

I new that vascop but how i thought any would pair up with any other without moving (but they do) confused me.