| MadSci Network: Physics |
The best way to store bar magnets is in pairs, with the north pole of one magnet up against the south pole of the next magnet. With many magnets, you can stack them together like this:
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It will be hard to take them apart, but they will help each other to keep charge. If you look at the direction of field lines around a bar magnet (I couldn't find a good picture on the web, but you might have a book with a good picture), you will see that outside of the magnet the field lines are in the opposite direction from the field inside the magnet. So if you want two magnets to work together, you have to line them up oppositely. This is also why bar magnets are attracted to each other when lined up oppositely, but repeled when lined up the same way.
If you just throw them into a box any which way, then the magnets will slowly lose their fields. Also, if you drop them, throw them around or otherwise knock them the magnets will lose charge.
I did find Haines Educational who sell a "bar magnet storage tray". There are other laboratory supply companies around, but you will want to concentrate on those that supply educational materials.
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Physics.