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A fickle soft magnet

By pushing a soft magnet into a permanent magnet, one can feel the changes in thrust and attraction, understand the…

A fickle soft magnet — Basic Science exhibit for science museums
Studio rendering
CategoryBasic Science
InteractionInteractive installation
Standard sizeCustom size
SupplySingle unit or batch · OEM to your drawing
Lead timeStandard 4–8 weeks after deposit (confirmed per contract)
Warranty1 year, structure and control
DocumentsSpecification sheet · control diagram · spare-part list

A standard catalogue model: the dimensions, control package and finish are fixed, which is what keeps the price and the lead time predictable. Size, colour and interface language can be adapted without a new design cycle.

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01 / Overview

By pushing a soft magnet into a permanent magnet, one can feel the changes in thrust and attraction, understand the principles of soft magnet changes, and the applications of this material in daily life. The exhibits allow visitors to experience the wonderful characteristic of same-sex attraction between soft magnets and permanent magnets through different ways of observing phenomena and judging from experience. When visitors push the soft magnet towards the permanent magnet, they will feel that the repulsive force between the soft magnet of the same sex and the fixed permanent magnet is increasing, and the pushing is becoming more and more difficult. When the distance reaches a small enough distance, the huge repulsive force will instantly become attractive, attracting the two together. Soft magnetic materials are widely used as pathways for magnetic field lines, i.e. as magnetic conductive materials, such as iron cores in transformers, sensors, magnetic shielding covers, etc. Target audience: Adolescents aged 6-15 years old. Interactive display device operation instructions (audience experience) 1 Visitors can feel the same sex by pushing the soft magnet towards the permanent magnet.

02 / How visitors use it

Interaction type: Interactive installation. The unit is designed for unsupervised public use: controls are recessed or shielded, moving parts are enclosed, and the interface is operable by a child of about six with no instruction. Where a screen is used, the language can be switched without changing the hardware, and the content can be replaced on site.

03 / The science behind it

Soft magnets are easily magnetized, and their performance is comparable to that of ordinary magnetic materials when no permanent magnet is in close proximity. But when the permanent magnet is close enough, the soft magnet may be magnetized by the permanent magnet, causing a change in the direction of the magnetic moment. Soft magnetic materials, specifically those magnetic materials with low coercivity, easy magnetization and demagnetization. The so-called soft refers to these materials being easily magnetized and exhibiting "softness" in magnetism. In general, soft magnets also exhibit the normal properties of permanent magnets, but when ordinary permanent magnets are very close to the conical tip of soft magnets, the direction of the magnetic moment of the soft magnetic material changes, and the repulsive force between the two suddenly changes to attractive force. Soft magnetic materials have a wide range of applications because they are easy to magnetize and demagnetize, have high magnetic permeability, and can effectively concentrate magnetic field lines. Soft magnetic materials are widely used as pathways for magnetic field lines, i.e. as magnetic conductive materials, such as transformers, conductors, etc.

04 / Built for a public floor

Every unit leaves the factory after a running test: mechanisms cycled, electronics burned in, edges dressed, fixings torqued and marked. Wear parts — bearings, sliders, lamps, belts, touch panels — are modular and listed on the spare-part sheet, so a venue technician can replace them without returning the exhibit. Crating is plywood with foam blocking; the loading plan and packing list travel with the shipment.

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