Cool and Useful
Things You Can Do With Magnets
About
the Author: Bruce Utsler is a freelance blogger who is currently studying to become
an X-ray technician. He is an expert on magnets, particularly neodymium magnets.
When he's not studying, Bruce likes to hit the streets on his longboard and to
perfect his frisbee golf toss.
If you haven’t checked out some of the totally cool and
extremely useful things you can do with powerful magnets, take a look at some
of these suggestions.
Finding Wall Studs
One of the coolest and most useful real-world
applications of super magnets is the ability to find studs in your wall. It’s
not the actual stud itself that the magnet will be attracted to, but a nail or
a screw in that stud instead. Once you find out where that is though, just
follow a vertical line upward and hang whatever you need to hang—simple as
that.
Taking Batteries
Out
When I was a kid, my toys required batteries—and
oftentimes, they required an infinite amount of them. I know for a fact that
they take just as many today as they did back then, and that they are just as
hard to remove after they die. That’s where the earth magnet comes in handy.
Instead of risking a minor shock or a battery-acid-splattered puncture, just
attach an earth magnet and pry that sucker out.
Make LED Throwies
LED Throwies are
quickly becoming all the rage in and out of the graffiti world—originally used
by graffiti artists and political activist supporting an agenda, they’ve
quickly become the product of many DIY technology and decorating blogs because
of their wide versatility not only as public decoration, but also as personal
decoration. The best part about throwies? It’s only graffiti until you take it
off the wall. The magnets allow you to place the throwies anywhere that there’s
metal, and then remove them again to so it all over again somewhere else. Even
better than that: they cost less than $1.00 each to make.
Homopolar Motor
Not many people know about the homopolar motor, but it
truly is one of the simplest motors out there capable of producing 10,000 RPM,
and made from nothing but:
·
One battery cell (C Battery)
·
Copper wiring
·
A Ferromagnetic
Screw
·
Neodymium magnet in disk shape
After placing the magnet on the head of the screw, and
magnetically hanging the screw by its point from the tip of the positive end of
the battery, touch one end of the copper wire to the negative surface of the
battery. Keeping that end touching negative, touch the other end of the wire to
the magnet at the head of the screw and voila! You have a homopolar motor!*
*The screw can actually get going up to 10,000 RPM and
is capable of spinning out of control and potentially flying off of the
battery. Take the proper precautions and wear safety glasses!
Chip Clips
By using two small rare earth magnets, you can completely
replace the chip clips that keep open bags of Lays and such fresh. A word of
caution—don’t swallow these magnets. It might sound silly, but super magnets
have recently been the cause of life threatening injuries because of how they
will attract to one another in different regions of the snaking intestinal
tract. Eat the chips instead, they’re much tastier.
If you have any other cool ideas as to what you can do
with magnets, feel free to leave suggestions in the comments section below!
