The mystical magnet (Earth, science)

[Abram]

I've spent some time debating very intelligent people here. So I thought as opposed to fighting why not join them.

There is one thing in life I have yet to figure out. The magnet?

How can a fridge magnet cling against gravity endlessly without draining a power source?

It's not glued, it's never recharged, there is no friction, there is no power source, yet it will stay there forever? This goes against all science and common since.

[Ori]

Also, how come the incredible Hulks pants always stay on, no matter how big he gets?

[Abram]

Originally Posted by Orichalcum

Also, how come the incredible Hulks pants always stay on, no matter how big he gets?

LOL To leave us wondering if everything gets bigger.

[Seyorni]

The electromagnetic force is way stronger than the puny gravitational attraction, isn't it?
Anything focusing EM would pretty much eclipse gravity.

At least, those are my initial thoughts on the subject.

[Abram]

Originally Posted by Seyorni

The electromagnetic force is way stronger than the puny gravitational attraction, isn't it?
Anything focusing EM would pretty much eclipse gravity.

At least, those are my initial thoughts on the subject.

But how can EM be a everlasting, never needing charged force. What fuels it?

[michel]

Originally Posted by Abram

But how can EM be a everlasting, never needing charged force. What fuels it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet describes magnets, and how they are made. Magnets can (and do) loose magnetism. But it is not only magnets that have magnetism; large metalic constructions such as boats, because of their sheer size (and the steel construction) have a magnetic field.

Two boats passing within a reasonably close distance to each other will actually draw themselves to each other, it is a known hazzard.

Seyorni is, of course correct in that he says that although Gravity has a 'pull', it is not strong enough to disrupt a fridge magnet (unless that has lost some of it's magnetism - usually by being dropped, or hit often enough), when Gravity then becomes stronger, and pulls the fridge magnet to the floor.

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by Abram

But how can EM be a everlasting, never needing charged force. What fuels it?

Please no more young earth threads.

[standing_on_one_foot]

That's a bit like asking why gravity never needs to be recharged. Mass attracts mass, and positive charges attract negative charges (and it's a much stronger force than gravity, although in other ways they're rather similar forces). I don't think anyone knows why things work that way, just how the universe is.

Hey, just remembered another cool example of E&M being stronger than gravity. It's what keeps you from falling down through the floor to the Earth's center of mass (which is what gravity is "trying" to make you do). How does the floor provide the force needed to counter gravity and keep you in place, endlessly, as it were, without draining a power supply? Works out to E&M keeping the atoms in place, more or less.

The universe is a pretty nifty place.

[Shadow Wolf]

According to The National Geographic Channel, the earths magnetic field is weakening, and in time, will weaken to the point were the magnets on earth will no longer function.

[standing_on_one_foot]

Originally Posted by Luke Wolf

According to The National Geographic Channel, the earths magnetic field is weakening, and in time, will weaken to the point were the magnets on earth will no longer function.

Not quite true. Compasses would cease to work on Earth, but a magnets' still a magnet. Things with opposite charges will still attract, regardless of what the Earth does.

Found a National Geographic article about this. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...hmagfield.html Rather interesting. It doesn't predict that the field will just go away altogether, but that it will collapse and then switch, which it's done before.