Originally Posted by
recyclersteve
I was out scrapping last Saturday night (Curb Co. stuff). I was driving my usual vehicle, a late model SUV. It has one of those lift gates in the rear that you can open and close with the remote.
Midway through scrapping I noticed that I could close the lift gate, but could not open it without using my hands. I immediately checked to see if there was something caught in the latching mechanism and initially thought it would be a piece of wire. Nope.
So I moved everything about 6 inches or so away from the latching mechanism and still found the same thing occurring. I could close it just fine, but it was difficult to open- impossible with the remote.
Well, here is what happened. At one house a contractor left boxes of nails and staples (all magnetic) by the curb with a sign that said "Free Free Free". Of course I loaded them into the back of my car. I figure that there were approximately 50,000 pieces that I loaded and that they weighed 150-200# all told.
When I removed them from the car, the hatchback worked just fine. So by process of elimination, it was the magnetic attraction of that many staples and nails that made it so difficult to open up the back of my car. Not a perfect example, but imagine a magnet weighing 150-200# and the force that it would exert...
Anyone think these would be good garage sale items?
I think your telling a fib, those nails in the box would have been standing in an upright position which means had they been magnetic thier north and south poles would be at opposite ends.
Staples shaped in a U shape would have similar characteristics to a horseshoe magnet. A horseshoe magnet requires a piece of iron be placed across the poles when not in use to preserve the magnetism .This is called a keeper.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet_keeper
You have an interesting imagination, just have to be a bit more creative in your stories.
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