Eclipse Diamagnatic Sculpture
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Get a magnetic levitation sculpture here:
From Etsy: BUY NOW Diamagnetic Levitation Sculptures
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Eclipse diamagnetic levitation sculpture. Cast from diamagnetic Bismuth, a golden spherical neodymium magnet levitates trapped in a tunnel within the metal. Diamagnetic substances only have magnetic fields of their own when placed in an external magnetic field from another source- here the sphere magnet supplies the field. Diamagnetic fields are pretty weak though so a powerful cube neodymium magnet sits above the tunnel and is adjusted to help lift the sphere magnet against gravity. Trapped in equilibrium by these fields, any other magnet brought near will change the balance.
Ferromagnetic Interaction
Here is the NdFeB neodymium magnet used in this video:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Neodymium Disk Magnet
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Please use extreme caution when handeling strong magnets like this one. Small nails, paperclips, staples and other houlshold object made with iron will interact interestingly with the magnetic field.
Ferromagnetic Interaction: iron rich nails temporarily become dipole magnets in the presence of an intense magnetic field from a large neodymium super magnet. Here the neodymium disk magnet is set with its north pole pointing up, so the point of each nail becomes a south pole (repelling each other) and the head of each a north pole. Imbued with these temporary induced fields, the nails will try to align themselves with the neodymium dipole’s field like compass needles, and the nails will interact with each other in interesting ways.
Magnetic Hoops Suspension Sculpture 2.0
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From Mr.Sci Science Factory: BUY NOW: KInetic Magnetic Sculpture
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Magnetic Hoops Suspension Sculpture 2.0: Steel circles are suspended by a magnet (black disk) and held down to the base by a thin thread. The tops of the steel hoops, being ferromagnetic, become a north pole in the presence of the south pole end of the black magnet, so they are attracted to the black magnet, but repel each other. Produced by Funtime Gifts Europe Ltd. this is a new and affordable version of a vintage sculpture made by Rathcon Inc. in 1970.
Levitating Golden Snitch
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From Amazon: BUY NOW: Golden Snitch
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Levitating Golden Snitch: Harry Potter magic simulated by the real magic of physics. Well- the wings don’t move, but it does float above the base. Magnets are involved of course- a control system in the base, powered by AA batteries, uses adjustable electromagnets and a Hall effect magnetic field sensor to levitate the snitch, and it’s pretty stable too.
Electric Generator Demonstator
Get this very similar demonstation here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Electric Generator
I upgraded this version with a larger LED light bulb:
From Amazon: BUY NOW: 3V LED lightbulbs and E26 Socket
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Generator Teaching Demo: The electrical energy that comes to your home is produced by some device somewhere moving a coil of wire next to a magnet to produce an electric current (known as Faraday’s law of induction). This tabletop demonstration uses a crank and belt drive to spin the coil between the north and south poles. The ends of the coil are attached to the two smooth metal pieces on the shaft (the commutator) that makes contact with the output wires and connects to the lightbulb. Maximum current is produced when the axis of the coil is at a right angle to the magnetic field- so the current comes in a series of pulses and the bulb flashes on and off. Physics of energy transfer: mechanical kinetic energy→ electrical energy→ light energy.
Iron Filing Field Detector
This device and similar ones available here:
From Amazon: BUY NOW Magnetic Field Demonstrator Kits
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Iron Filing Field Detector: visualizing the invisible- the magnetic field lines around a dipole bar magnet. In the presence of a magnetic field, ferromagnetic materials (such as iron) temporarily become magnets. Here the iron filings become dipole magnets and link up and align like tiny compass needles to follow and reveal the magnetic field lines associated with the permanent magnet underneath. Viscous silicone oil temporarily keeps the iron particles suspended yet allows for rotation and repositioning under the influence of the magnetic field.
The HoverPen 3.0
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From Amazon: BUY NOW: HoverPen 3.0
The HoverPen 3.0: A sleek and weighty writing pen defying gravity- at an elegant angle of 60 degrees- trapped by a magnetic field via precision engineered placement of neodymium magnets in a space age base design.
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In Defiance of Gravity
Neodymium magnets will produce the largest gap when suspending a nail or other iron rich objects.
Please use exterme caution when handling these magnets.
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Neodymium Super Magnet
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In Defiance of Gravity: a 3 oz plumb bob in suspension 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. Sculpture: oak, stainless steel chain and hardware, neodymium super magnet, standard plumb bob tool. Iron filings in oil align and chain together to reveal the magnetic field lines of the equilibrium configuration.
Vertical Mendocino Motor
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From EngineDIY: BUY NOW: Vertical Mendocino Motor
From engineDIY: BUY NOW Horizontal Levitating Motor (on all models here-remove brown protective film to reveal clear acrylic on rotor)
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Mendocino Motor: each face of a solar cell is connected to a coil of copper wire across from the opposing solar cell. When the rotor is lit from one side the lit solar cell provides electric current to the coil in the opposite position which becomes a temporary electromagnet that pushes against the permanent magnets in the base propelling the rotor to rotate. As the rotor turns, the coil that moves into the position near the magnet is likewise energized by the solar cell currently at the top- one can say the light commutates this motor. Magnetic bearings to reduce friction in both models. Invented in the 1960s by Daryl Chapin of Bell Labs and popularized by Larry Springs of Mendocino CA
Levitation Lamp
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From Amazon: BUY NOW: Levitation Lamp White, Levitation Lamp Black
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Levitation Lamp: tapping the floating spherical magnet turns this LED lamp off and on in this interesting design. The magnet floats a couple centimeters from the surface of the base when plugged in, and feels springy to the touch. Within the base is a control system with adjustable electromagnet coils in a feedback loop with Hall effect sensors which allow for fine tuning of a magnetic field to precisely balance the pull of gravity.
Magnetic Seal & Ball
These vintage magnetic toys often available from these sources (dog or seal):
From Etsy: BUY NOW: Magnetic Spinning Ball Toy
From eBay: BUY NOW: Magnetic Spinning Ball Toy
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Magnetic Seal & Ball: as the seal nears, the ball spins and moves away- the physics challenge is to explain how can magnets produce rotation of the ball? Hint: clever placement and orientation of magnets in the seal and ball are at the root of this design. A vintage toy from Germany. I love the extra magnet in the seal’s nose to store and display the ball.
Magnetic Momentum Rotor Toy
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From eBay: BUY NOW: Magnetic Rotor Toy
Momentum Magnetic: a rotor rolls while magnetically connected to an oblong track, and tilting the track to and fro keeps the rotor in motion. A spring switch activates LEDs to light in this fun variation of the famous Whee-Lo type toys- with physics of angular momentum, magnets, and combinations of rotational and translational kinetic energy.
Electric Motor/Generator
Amazingly this motor is available for less than $10 US.
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Brushless Motor/Generator with LED
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Electric Motor/Generator: this inexpensive and common motor can also serve as a generator of AC electricity- here lightning an LED when the shaft of the rotor is spun by hand. Most electrical energy we use today is produced by moving a magnet near a coil of wire (known as Faraday’s law of induction) to produce an electric current. Removing the permanent magnet casing reveals this design to use 9 separate copper windings. I made a transparent second rotor with six neodymium magnets- and when these magnets are made to move near the windings the LED again lights with the flow of current.
Levitating Mini Moon Lamp
Get this fun lamp here (comes with both Mini-Moon and silver sphere magnet):
From Amazon: BUY NOW: Levitation Lamp
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Levitating Mini Moon Lamp: tapping the floating illuminated Moon turns this LED lamp off and on in this strange design. The Moon with embedded magnet floats a couple centimeters from the surface of the base when plugged in, and feels springy to the touch. Within the base is a control system with adjustable electromagnet coils in a feedback loop with Hall effect sensors which allow for fine tuning of a magnetic field to precisely balance the pull of gravity on the tiny Moon.
Bismuth Maglev Rod
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From Etsy: BUY NOW: Bismuth Maglev Rod
Click here to see other diamagnetic toys and scuptures
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Bismuth Maglev Rod: Small magnets are trapped, suspended and floating, within the notch of a rod cast from the diamagnetic metal bismuth. Diamagnetic substances only have magnetic fields of their own when placed in an external magnetic field from another source- here the small floating magnet supplies the external field. Diamagnetic fields are pretty weak though, so a powerful neodymium magnet sits above the gap on the top of the rod, and its height is adjusted to help lift the small magnet against gravity. Another amazing creation by Ernie McElhannon of Element83.
Magnetic Sand Hourglass
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From Amazon: BUY NOW Magnetic Hourglass
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Magnetic Sand Hourglass: ferromagnetic sand collects above a neodymium magnet in the wood base. Each particulate of ferromagnetic iron becomes a temporary dipole magnet in the presence of the magnetic field in the base. The tiny dipoles link up north ends to south ends, creating interesting patterns that reveal the magnetic field lines.
Electric Motor
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From Amazon: BUY NOW Simplest Motor Kit
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Electric Motor: in its simplest form!- coil, magnet, and battery. The wire of the coil has an insulating coating- and this coating is carefully scrapped off one side on each end. When current passes through the coil it becomes an electromagnet and the permanent magnet repels it making it spin- as it turns the currents goes on and off depending if the copper posts are in contact with the bare wire (current on) or the still insulated wire (current off). I have motors with fewer parts- but they operate on more complex principles.
Magnetic Soma Cube
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From Amazon: BUY NOW: Magnetic Soma Cube
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Magnetic Soma Cube: a new fun variant of the famous math toy invented by Danish scientist and artist Piet Hein, who claimed that this puzzle came to him as he was listening to a lecture on Quantum Mechanics by Werner Heisenberg (yes- that Heisenberg). The seven pieces of this puzzle are all the ways 3 or 4 cubes can be joined such that the piece has at least one inside corner. In this version small magnets are encased in cleverly designed cavities such that they will always flip over to attract a counterpart in another puzzle piece, allowing the puzzle to stick together- or hang from the side of the refrigerator. Amazingly there are 240 ways to make the cube from these 7 pieces- still not that easy!