# Question about Magnetism

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-magnetism/372775>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 15, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-magnetism/372775 "2006-09-15T01:06:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wonder\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/82dd89/32.png) [@Wonder\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonder_Woman)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-magnetism/372775/1 "2006-09-15T01:06:01Z")

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I have a purse that has a magnetic clasp that lost its magnetism. How do I fix it? It is a circular magnet about an inch wide. It was left unclasped for a long time. :smack:

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**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-magnetism/372775/2 "2006-09-15T04:07:45Z")

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[QUOTE=Wonder Woman]  
I have a purse that has a magnetic clasp that lost its magnetism. How do I fix it? It is a circular magnet about an inch wide. It was left unclasped for a long time. :smack:  
[/QUOTE]  
I’m guessing that the magnet is a ceramic iron-oxide type; they don’t usually spontaneously demagnetize, although excessive heating or being placed in a rapidly fluctuating magnetic field can do it. Try getting a strong permanent magnet–you can find them at science supply stores or sometimes at a hardware store–and leaving it against the clasp magnet overnight and see how that goes.

Stranger

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**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-magnetism/372775/3 "2006-09-15T04:39:22Z")

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Maybe [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=387037) thread can help.

Why would leaving it unclasped matter? 😕

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-magnetism/372775/4 "2006-09-15T04:52:10Z")

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**Wonder Woman**. Please don’t start yet another thread about this.

**samclem** GQ moderator