Revealing the Science: How Hall Effect Sensors Make Your Laptop Sleep

What appears to be a curious trick – placing an AirPods case near a Chromebook and watching the screen turn off – is in fact a straightforward application of the Hall effect. Modern laptops employ Hall effect sensors near the hinge to detect whether the lid is open or closed. A constant current flows through the sensor, and when a nearby magnet is introduced, its magnetic field deflects the moving charge carriers. This deflection generates a measurable voltage, which the laptop interprets as the lid being closed. In this case, the magnet embedded in the AirPods case mimics the lid magnet, causing the Chromebook to enter sleep mode.

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