Added: Jul 7, 2008

From: wbeaty

Duration: 2:7

A supermagnet cube floats between graphite disks. The cube is lifted by the ceramic magnet a few cm above, while the two carbon disks repel the cube, keeping it stable. This is the small physics toy sold by Dr. Martin Simon a few years ago (no longer avail.) A larger version is sold on Educational Innovations website. Or buy pyrolytic graphite wafers from http://scitoys.com, and supermagnets from http://www.wondermagnet.com

Channel: Howto

Tags: amasci  antigravity  diamagnetic  graphite  levitation  maglev  magnet  magnetic  neo  neodymium  pyrolytic  supermagnets 

Rating: 4.57 (53 ratings)    Views: 56601' favoriteCount='116    Comments: 31

foolycooly124 Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - can you tell me where you get your neodymium magnet beads and neodymium magnets?

virusthe1st Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - hey im doing a maglev train for a science fair...do you have any tips for me? please respond!!!

NorbPwn Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - if you created a vacuum where the super magnet is, it would technically spin forever no? since there is no wind resistance. Also what the life of a super magnet, does it lose power over time?

wbeaty Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - It would probably stop within days. The small wiggles of the field will cause drag upon the conductive carbon. If the magnet had an incredibly smooth magnetic pattern, and was suspended very far from the carbon, the slowing process would take a very long time. (Put some black mica paddles on the magnet, then speed it up with a laser!)

wbeaty Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - Spin forever? It would probably stop within days. The small wiggles of the field will cause drag upon the conductive carbon. If the magnet had an incredibly smooth magnetic pattern, and was suspended very far from the carbon, the slowing process would take a very long time. (Put some black mica paddles on the magnet, then speed it up with a laser!)

NorbPwn Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - Interesting, so theres a "magnetic drag" from the carbon, what if you used a spherical magnet in a vacuum, would it spin longer. One thing I was wondering about these magnets is their field of power, or range that is, i read that some are strong but have small range, are there magnets that work from a distance, for example i walk 10 feet from a monitor and the screen gets disrupted by the magnet?Cont.->

NorbPwn Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - <- Is that possible, and also, some website see N45 magnets at considerably different prices, is it just the sight, or are some N45's made differently?

adrianTNT Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - This is nice ...

suezannec Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - Could you incorporate a voice coil into the process, hook the voice coil to a stereo, and make a suitably shaped supermagnet serve as a speaker diaphragm?

wbeaty Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - Tear the coil out of an old loudspeaker, plug it into a headphone signal. Bite a supermagnet between your teeth, and hold the coil near the magnet. Music plays inside your head!

locouk Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - Passing a current through a magnet makes it spin, (Basic motor)so if you had a 'C' cell and passed a current through the magnet using fine wire would the magnet spin?

RainMan002 Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - the polarity of the magnet is up/down.basic motors make it flip over the polarity. basically a motor would try to spin in a different plane.

locouk Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - Errr... good point, I was thinking like a bearingless homopolar motor. That has the poles verticaly so I was thinking if you passed the current via copper wire verticly through the magnet, would it rotate?

RainMan002 Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - I had never heard of a homopolar moter before and had to look it up in google. Ithink you would still get drag from the wires touching the magnet. If you saw what wBeaty posted at the bottom, he referes to using light to make a motor out of it. I have seen this before. They put black on the left half of each face and white on the right and shine bright light on it and it spins.

theburford Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - Haha, check out dude's goatee, that rocks! Physics nerd with a graying goatee, my role model!

ppcgnamda Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - im trying this and if i get hurt i sue...

sanddragon99 Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - very interesting!

picobyte Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - I've posted you another diamagnetic experiment, it's very easy yust hold a magnet near a small stream of water and you will see it bend :)

Timbo17932 Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - where can i get pyrolytic graphite?!!!

blahdob Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - thats like telling somebody who said "shoot yourself" that.

wbeaty Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - > where can i get pyrolytic graphite?!!!Click on "more". It gives info in "About This Video"

Voodude666B Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - wow even though i know at 0:58 that its real, it still doesnt look it.

hydrogenman15 Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - Hey, try use one of those cheap fan motors to make the magnet spin very fast.

cribcat1 Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - that just looks like fun!

ochami Says:

Jul 7, 2008 - interesting!I really want one.