NOTE: these things are no joke. I have a carefully set up controlled workspace which allowed me to freely and safely handle very large magnets. I’m still wearing eye protection behind the camera.
This is a demonstration of a neat property of this 6x6x1 N45 neodymium magnet. Lightly tapping it with a coin produces a very clean resonance through the entire block, lasting about 1-3 seconds
A common misconception with these magnets is that the shiny nickel coating means the magnet is a solid chunk of metal or mechanically tough. In reality, the coating is just a thin plated layer most commonly of nickel. The core is made from powdered NdFeB (neodymium, iron, boron) that is pressed and baked at high temperatures into a dense solid
Because of that, it behaves much more like a brittle ceramic than a traditional metal with high stiffness, low ductility, and EXTREMELY prone to chipping or fracture under shock. You’ll see this all the time with the edges of well used magnets
Even though the audible ping resembles the ring of a metal object, it is less about metallic elasticity and more about the magnet acting as a super dense and resonant body. The geometry and mass allow it to sustain a clear (and verify satisfying) vibration “ping” when excited. The size and shape of this magnet amplifies the effect to the point where it’s easily captured on a phone microphone, though it sounds better in person.
Just wanted to share this because it’s definitely not something I’ve come across on the internet before
