Gyro-Carousel
Get this unique toy and amny other whimsical spinnign tops from this store:
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Gyro-Carousel Globe Tops
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Gyro-Carousel: two terrestrial globe spin tops of the same mass hang balanced on the ends of a beam such that their rotational motion is allowed to transfer to the system as a whole. The tops are set to spin as usual, but here small neodymium magnets are embedded in the tops of their stems which allows them to connect and hang from metal pins in the beam. The angular momentum of each top is slowly transferred to the rotation of the system by the slight force of friction acting at the attachment point on the beam produced by the stem of the spinning top. Studies show that approximately 1% of the original rotational kinetic energy of the tops is transferred to the rotating beam, not much- but enough to produce this interesting effect. A design by physicist Christian Ucke and a product of KreiselArt (Ulrich Büker).
Color Gradient Magnetic Viewing Film
Get this new technology here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Color Magnetic Viewing Film
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Color Gradient Magnetic Film: making the invisible visible and revealing the hidden beauty of the physics in our everyday world. Microscopic cavities in this thin film are filled with suspended magnetic nanoparticles that interact with magnetic fields producing different colors from orange (low field strength) to dark blue (high field strength). Here three “fridge magnets” and a coded neodymium magnet show surprising field complexity when placed under this film.
Electromagnetic Levitation Module
Get a similar inexpensive simple module here:
From EngineDIY: BUY NOW: Mag Lev Kit
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Electromagnetic Levitation Module: this bare bones engineered control system uses an adjustable electromagnet (the copper coil) and a Hall effect magnetic field sensor (embedded in the center of the the coil) to levitate a neodymium magnet and keep it from falling. A feedback loop informed by the Hall effect sensors allows fine tuning of the magnetic field to exactly balance the pull of gravity, all powered by a 12 power supply. Once trapped the magnet can also rotate, creating a nice way to display a small piece of kinetic illusion art hanging from a chain. A no frills design that shows the fairly simple circuit and components of such a levitation feedback system.
Levitating Inq Lamp
Get (or give!) a Curiosity Box subscription here: JOIN NOW: The Curiosity Box
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Levitating Inq Lamp: Inq (the curious orange octopus) hangs illuminated and suspended by magnetic forces. I modified this lamp to incorporate the squish version of the @thecuriositybox mascot with a powerful neodymium magnet on top and a smaller magnet embedded with in Inq’s head- when the octopus is floating the bottom cord engages the light switch.
Magnetic Flux Gyroscope Pendant
Magnetic Flux Pendants and other amazing science inspired jewelry available here:
From Foxtail Jewelry: BUY NOW: Kinetic Magnetic Pendants
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Magnetic Flux Gyroscope Pendant: two neodymium magnets on chains remain suspended by their mutual magnetic attraction. This kinetic art necklace design is from a new line of physics inspired jewelry- a collaboration with designer and artist Betsy Yates of @foxtailjewelry who so masterfully brought this concept to life and is currently featuring @physicsfun inspired pendants in her gallery and store.
Spriranetics Magnetic Rotor Toy
This produce was sold in the 1990s. The famous Whee-Lo type toys are still available- some light up:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Magnetic Rotor Toys
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Spiranetics Kinetic Toy: a rotor rolls while magnetically connected to a helical track in this toy sold by The Nature Company in the 1990s. The clever geometry allows two modes of operation- swipe to see mode 2. With the right timing, the rotor speed can be ramped up by just rotating the helix in place- or to get it to higher rotation speeds the helix can come out of the base as demonstrated. This device is a fancy version of the Whee-Lo type toys (swipe twice to see vintage 1970 version) with physics of angular momentum, magnets, and combinations of rotational and translational kinetic energy.
Magnetic Suspsension Sculpture
This DIY magneits sculpture can be assemebled with these parts. Bring a magnet into a craft shop to find some necklace chain that is non-magnetic.
From Amazon/eBay: BUY NOW: Quilting Hoop, Neodyumium Sphere Magnets
Magnetic Flux Gyroscope art and other amazing science inspired jewelry available here:
From Foxtail Jewelry: BUY NOW: Kinetic Magnetic Pendants
From Foxtail Jewelry: BUY NOW: Tabletop Magnetic Kinetic Art
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Magnetic Suspension Sculpture: two neodymium magnets on chains suspended by their mutual magnetic attraction in this prototype kinetic sculpture (swipe to see scaled fine jewelry version by foxtailjewelry). These powerful magnets hold the chains taut with about a 2cm gap. Made from a quilting hoop where the magnets connect under their own force to steel nails soldered on to non-magnetic chain.
Magnetic Poles & Fields
Get a set here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Magnetic Field Viewer set
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Viewing Magnetic Poles: visualizing the invisible- tiny iron filings suspended in viscous oil gracefully chain up to reveal the presence of magnetic field lines. Can you determine how the magnetic polls are configured by the structure of the field lines? Here three configurations, initially hidden behind white foam board, create the beautiful mappings of the fields.
Chaotic magnetic Pendulum
These chaotic pendula are still available on eBay.
Chick here for similar chaotic systems
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Chaotic Magnet Pendulum: adding magnetic forces to gravity gives this pendulum chaotic motion- not random, but very sensitive to slight differences in initial launch conditions. The second half of this video features a particular launch path that begins with a semi-stable orbit but then goes chaotic, captured with an attached LED and recorded with a slow shutter app. Arranging the dipoles magnets on the base leads to different patterns of motion- here white attracts and black repels. This vintage device is from the 1970s and was sold by the name “Krazy Leg” by Rathcon Inc.
Gravity Defying Nail and Magnet
Neodymium magnets will produce the largest gap when suspending a nail.
Please use exterme caution when handling these magnets.
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Neodymium Super Magnet
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Magnetic Defiance of Gravity: a nail suspended between a chain and a powerful neodymium magnet. Ferromagnetic attraction over a distance of many millimeters, and a reminder of the presence of the typically invisible electromagnetic forces all around us. Make your own with a paperclip, string, and a refrigerator magnet- or get a neodymium magnet and see how massive an object you can suspend in air.
Magnetic Chaotic Pendulum
Currently available here: From Amazon: BUY NOW Magnetic Chaotic Pendulum
Chick here for similar chaotic systems
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Magnetic Chaotic Pendulum: adding magnetic forces to gravity gives this pendulum chaotic motion- not random, but very sensitive to slight differences in initial launch conditions. Arranging the dipoles magnets on the base leads to different patterns of motion- here the center magnet attracts and the rest are set to repel. ROMP pendulum by Hog Wild toy company.
Vintage Telephone Magneto
vintage magnetos are available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW Vintage Bar Magneto Generators
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Vintage Telephone Magneto: a functioning antique 5 bar telephone magneto generator- made in 1910! As indicated by the neon bulb voltage divider- with sufficient cranking speed this generator can create a significant AC voltage using the characteristic horseshoe shaped magnets (bars) to provide the induction field. The AC current is of a low frequency as indicated by the flickering bulbs. A digital storage oscilloscope allows us to view the AC waveform output of this vintage magneto generator (swipe for demo). Note that although the output voltage is periodic, it is far from the ideal AC sine wave that we learn about (like those off the mains into our homes). Faraday’s Law describes the produced current in a moving coil of copper near a magnetic field, but it takes careful engineering of the coil and field to produce a sinusoidal AC output. The scope shows an impressive peak voltage of more than 350V- note that in 1910 only 40% of US homes had electricity so these generators were used to ring telephone bells up to 20 miles away!
The Levitron
Levitron Tops were produced in the 1990s and are out of production and getting harder to find. Similar models are still available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Levitation Top
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
The Levitron: spin stabilized magnetic levitation- will fly for about 3 minutes or more per launch. The spin rate of the magnetic top must be just right for flight, not too fast or too slow. Air resistance and dissipative interactions between the magnets gradually slow the spin rate and the top falls. Interestingly trapping the top requires precision - the weight of the top must be adjusted to within 1 gram to achieve equilibrium between the pull of gravity and the magnetic repulsion from the large donut shaped magnet in the wood base.
Feel Flux
Get one here:
From feelflux.com: BUY NOW Feel Flux
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Feel Flux: a toy utilizing Lenz's Law- a very strong neodymium magnet falls slowly down a copper tube as though passing through a viscous liquid. Moving magnetic fields produce electric currents in a conductor (such as copper). These currents then produce magnetic fields that have the opposite polarity to the initial field. So a falling magnet makes the copper tube briefly into an electromagnet that repels the magnet.
Ferrofluid Magnetic Tree Sculpture
Similar ferrofluid devices available here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW Ferrofluid Sculptures
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Ferrofluid Magnetic Tree Sculpture: the 'Nano Tree' by Concept Zero designs using gold colored ferrofluid which can be manipulated with a handheld magnet. The spiky structure is due to the balance between the forces from the focused magnetic fields (from a neodymium magnet in the base connected to an iron rich bolt) and the forces from liquid surface tension on the colloidal ferromagnetic liquid.
Golden Ferrofluid
Available on Etsy: BUY NOW Gold Ferrofluid Cell
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Golden Ferrofluid: colloidal ferromagnetic liquid in a specially prepared water-alcohol suspension. Curious behavior results from the interplay between magnetic force and surface tension. I'm still investigating the gold coloring and the specific makeup of the clear suspension fluid- both trade secrets it seems. The gold color appears to be a thin coating at the boundary between the ferrofluid and the suspension liquid.
Bismuth Diamagnetic Trap Levitation
See more of Ernie's amazing creations here in his Etsy shop Element83
From Etsy: BUY NOW Magnetic Levitation Sculptures
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Bismuth Maglev Rod
Note: this site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated
Bismuth Diamagnetic Trap Levitation: neodymium cube magnet trapped between two pieces of strongly diamagnetic bismuth crystal. Diamagnetic substances only have magnetic fields of their own when placed in an external magnetic field from another source- here the cube shaped magnet supplies the field. Diamagnetic fields are pretty weak though so two large ceramic magnets are placed on each side and adjusted to help lift the cube magnet against gravity. Trapped in equilibrium by these magnetic fields, the slightest air currents can send the cube magnet dancing. Swipe to see a vertical trap based on the same physics. More amazing creations by Ernie McElhannon.