St. Mary's High School, Manhasset, NY
|
** Important Disclaimer ** |
||||||
The Magnetic Laundry Ball
Caroline M.
Fifty years ago, Procter and Gamble discovered that chemical technology could change the molecular structure of water with the introduction of the very first laundry detergent, Tide. Today, there is a brand new laundry science that uses magnetic technology. It changes the molecular structure of water with ionization instead of harsh chemicals. The magnets create a powerful magnetic field that changes the water molecules, or the "surface tension" of the water. Surface tension is the attraction between individual water molecules. It’s simple and easy.
If you’re thinking that a laundry eradicator is a complex device that you’ll never be able to understand, your sadly mistaking. Laundry eradicator is just a fancy term to describe a magnet that is used to clean clothing instead of your every day detergents. A laundry eradicator is basically a ceramic ball which has suspended magnets inside of it. This ball can replace your everyday laundry detergents and clean the clothing instead. In fact, the eradicator does all the work detergent but doesn’t wear out the material as fast. You may be wondering how magnetism can ever clean clothing. Soon that will be explained, so prepare to be amazed.
To wash clothes you need water. Water is a polar molecule and is made up of only two different types of atoms. It consists of two hydrogen atoms that have positive charges, and one oxygen atom that has a negative charge. In fact, it is a very simple molecule if you think about it. If water is a polar molecule, that just means that the positively charged hydrogen atoms are attached to a neighboring negatively charged oxygen atoms. In fact, the oxygen molecules are so close to other hydrogen that a very strong bond is formed between them so they stick close together. This causes the surface tension of the water to be very great because the water molecules are really close together and tight.
The strong magnetic field created by the eradicator causes all of the polar molecules to separate and actually align. This finally breaks those strong polar bonds in the water and gives the water a much lower surface tension. In addition, the water molecules align in such a way that the hydrogens are facing in one direction and the oxygens are facing in the other. This alignment causes the "drops" of water to become so small that they can actually penetrate the fabric and easily remove dirt. Furthermore, with the lower surface tension of the water, the polarizing of the water increases what’s called the water’s "free charge". What this now means is the dirt in the clothing can be easily grabbed and removed. When this occurs, the water is considered "activated".
Along with this process, another interesting thing is created by the strong magnetic field. Now that the water has a much lower surface tension, the minerals and salts from the water actually become suspended (this is also what happens to the dirt). In addition, these salts and minerals actually become activated into an ionic form meaning that they become charged particles. This occurs because the magnets discharge electrons. In conclusion, this process only aids in cleaning the clothing. Laundry eradicators do everything detergents do and more. They basically change the molecular structure of the water so it is easier for the dirt to be removed from clothing. The best part is that they actually work.
Works Cited
Stew World. NESInc. U.S.A.: Stewworld, 1996. Yahoo. 22 March, 1998.
Euro-Wash Laundry Ball. USA: Advance Desihn, 1997. Infoseek. 22 March, 1998.
Laundry Ball By Euro-Wash. CA: TR Marketing Service, 1997. Infoseek. 22 March, 1998.