Toms River, NJ
Quoted from german-pinball:I now understood the operating principle of the 2 magnets. It is as follows:
As shown in the pictures, 2 magnetic plates , whose magnetic fields cancel each other, are mounted above each other. Between these 2 magnetic plates sits a "normal" reed switch.
If then a metal ball rolls above the unit, i.e. above the upper magnetic plate, the magnetic field of the upper magnetic plate is weakened . The magnetic field of the lower plate then dominates and can close the reed switch.
Pretty simple, isn´t it?
I'm not sure I believe this is what's happening at the physics level. How is having two stacked magnets, with both poles aligned n/s n/s causing any of the flux lines to cancel? If anything they would increase the magnetic field no? And now going back to 4th grade magnet experiments,complete with iron fillings to show the flux lines adding a piece of steel (pinball) Into that field increases the flux lines(for a moment in time in this case) and thus activates the very small magnet that's in the Reed switch itself no? This makes more sense to me. I wonder if the orientation of the magnet poles and that of the Reed switch would keep it from closing if not orientated correctly.
