Many parents have noticed that some magnetic strips may have a "repulsion phenomenon".
Even some manufacturers do not understand the arrangement and combination of magnetic poles, and thus are unable to explain them to customers, leading to misunderstandings.
Youdaoplaceholder0 BUT ACTUALLY THIS IS A normal physical principle ❞
Currently, magnetic sheets available on the market (regardless of side length of 7.5cm, 6.5cm or other sizes) all have a situation of mutual exclusion, which is not a bug exclusive to specific brands.
This article will reveal to you the mystery of the attraction and repulsion of magnetic sheets.
Magnets and magnetic poles
In the natural science class in primary school, it was taught that a magnet, whether it is in the shape of a long bar, a horseshoe or a circle, must have two poles.
The magnetic pole pointing north is called the North Pole or the N pole.
The one pointing south is called the South Pole or the S pole.
And ❝ Opposite poles attract, like poles repel ❞.
Below, we will explain the arrangement of magnets for even-numbered and odd-numbered magnets
A magnetic sheet with an even number of magnets on one side
Each side of the magnetic sheet has two or four magnets, such as square, large square, equilateral triangle, right triangle, and hexagonal.
Take the two squares yellow and green in the following figure as examples.
The magnetic poles are arranged in an S-N-S-N-S-N-S-N sequence.
Therefore, it can be ensured that different magnetic sheets can freely adhere to each other no matter whether they are flipped up, down, left or right!
The magnetic poles of even-side magnetic sheets attract and repel each other.
A magnetic sheet with an odd number of magnets on one side
A magnetic sheet has one or three magnets on one side, such as a rectangle, a long fence, a large triangle, or an L-shaped one.
Take the two rectangles yellow and green in the following figure as examples.
The magnetic poles are arranged in an S-N-S-S-N-N sequence.
Due to the odd-numbered sides, when flipping the surfaces, unlike magnetic sheets with even-numbered sides where each side can maintain mutual attraction,
Therefore, there is a possibility of mutual exclusion!
The magnetic poles of odd-numbered magnetic sheets attract and repel each other
Magnetic sheets with repulsive properties
Finally, we can come to a conclusion:
If an edge has one or three magnets, there must be some faces that repel each other
If each side has two or four magnets, they will not repel each other no matter which side you flip to
The shapes that have been tested so far and show a situation of mutual exclusion include:
Rectangle, long fence, L-shaped, large triangle
Magnetic sheet types with repulsive conditions
Conclusion
In fact, the current magnetic sheet toys are considered a very mature technology. Major brands such as MNTL, ScienceBaby, Little Oxford, Connetix, Magna Tiles, Magblox, PicassoTiles, etc., all have the same magnetic pole arrangement.
If children use rectangular magnetic plates during assembly and encounter a situation where they repel each other, there is no need to worry. Just flip one side over and it can be attached!
However, occasionally, there are still cases where factories accidentally place magnets upside down. If you receive a product in doubt, you can contact the retail or brand customer service where you purchased it for confirmation, or you might as well go to a bookstore and buy a magnet marked with S and N poles to check it out!