Metal Detector by Voo
June 3rd, 2008 10:47 AM / Location: 44.94837,-93.28905Undaunted, I put my grad school education and silly imagination to work. What sort of thing could detect the presence of metal merely by being near it? Eureka, I almost said aloud within my empty-but-for-me apartment, that's it! Magnets!
I quickly made my way to our refrigerator and located the biggest, baddest magnet of them all. It's wand-shaped, so I decided to use it like a dowsing rod and slowly drag it near the many surfaces and items in my home, detecting the presence of metal and pursuing it hotly with this proof taking up the whole of my mind. I documented my process with photos I've posted below.
First, I encountered a Buddha mug. However, close inspection with my magnet wand proved this to be made of a non-metallic substance.
Next, the wand seemed drawn to a square of counter populated only by a small shiny object. It was a hair barrette, and the magnet wand snatched it up off the counter with quick force. Metal at last!
Finally, I tested 2 other items: a Gatorade bottle and a kitchen knife. Guess which one was made of metal?? Pictures don't lie, fellow players. Feast your eyes on... the metal kitchen knife!
In summary, my wanderings through my apartment pursuing metal with my makeshift metal detector was an adventure in attraction and an experiment in the elements.
(Yes, I realize that what my magnet dowsing wand *actually detects are magnetic surfaces. I'm not a complete idiot. However, all the magnetic surfaces I found just happened to be metallic. The ends justifies the means, isn't that what they say in science? Besides, I'm going for cute & quirky, not scientifically accurate with no other explanations.)
So, if you want to find metal, a magnet might help, but it certainly will not detect 100% of the metal near you. Because of scientific magnet reasons.
[[Voo]]
Metal Detecting Tools
Lacking an electronic metal detector, I fell back on...SCIENCE! Behold, the biggest magnet on my fridge!
Magnet Dowsing Wand
Large magnet wand in hand, I set about my apartment pursuing metal.
Testing Buddha
Being a true scientist, I tested the first item I encountered.
Buddha Isn't Metal
The Buddha mug does not appear to be made of metal. The magnet confirms this by merely laying beside the mug and not sticking to it at all.
What's This??
Why, whatever have we found? My magnet wand has led me to possible metal treasure!
It's A Barrette
Yes. It is a barrette. For my hair.
Barrette Is Metal
Look! It sticks! We have detected and encountered our first metallic object!
It Sticks On The End, Too
And now it looks like a vegetable peeler. Behold the combined power of magnets and metal!
Next Object Encountered
This Gatorade bottle was next in my path. I held my wand out to its surface...
Magnet Failure
...but the magnet wand doesn't stick, preferring to lay uselessly beside the bottle.
One Last Pursuit Of Metal
Next to the bottle, I found a large sharp shiny knife. But is it metal? Magnets will tell us...
The Final Magnet Test
The magnet stioks, the knife is metal, and thus ends our Detection and Pursuit Escapade.
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Wow! I learned something today! That's totally amazing.
I had no idea it was called a cow magnet. I'm sure my husband does; he's the magnet expert. The man loves magnets as much as I love goats.
A magnet won't detect all metal - but the task didn't say "detect and pursue all metals".
And the pictures are neat.
>> the task didn't say "detect and pursue all metals"
That's an excellent point. And I'm usually so to-the-letter when it comes to sentences...I can't believe I inferred "all metal" when no such implication was made!
Thanks! I was dying to complete tasks and the idea just came to me.
Cow magnet? *peers at picture* Ah no, that is a Jolly Roger magnet from the Pirate Store in Seattle. Sorry to be lacking in cows...I have many magnets and most are silly, but I have no cows. I think I shall remedy this.