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OxQQme

(2,550 posts) Wed Oct 21, 2015, 12:51 AM Oct 2015

Magnetic repulsion/levitation

This is amazing

https://www.facebook.com/Trustmeiamamechanicalengineer/videos/584790898329184/

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Magnetic repulsion/levitation (Original Post) OxQQme Oct 2015 OP

Very cool! Thanks.. nt haikugal Oct 2015 #1

It's a Levitron. OnyxCollie Oct 2015 #2

Yup, the fact that it's spinning is important... Salviati Oct 2015 #3

I had one of the commercxial Levitron gadgets back in the day. Binkie The Clown Oct 2015 #4

haikugal

(6,476 posts)

1. Very cool! Thanks.. nt

Reply to OxQQme (Original post)

Wed Oct 21, 2015, 12:59 AM

Oct 2015

OnyxCollie

(9,958 posts)

2. It's a Levitron.

Reply to OxQQme (Original post)

Wed Oct 21, 2015, 01:35 AM

Oct 2015

http://www.levitron.com

I bought one about 15 years ago, on a vacation out west (maybe Utah). It was handmade, with a thick wooden base.

Instead of metal washers, it had rubber O-rings.

Salviati

(6,008 posts)

3. Yup, the fact that it's spinning is important...

Reply to OnyxCollie (Reply #2)

Wed Oct 21, 2015, 03:06 AM

Oct 2015

You can't have a stable static equilibrium in empty space due to static electric or magnetic fields, but here the angular momentum of the spinning top keeps it from flipping over and having the magnetic force pull it down instead of push it up.

Binkie The Clown

(7,911 posts)

4. I had one of the commercxial Levitron gadgets back in the day.

Reply to OxQQme (Original post)

Wed Oct 21, 2015, 03:41 AM

Oct 2015

Levitron

Here's an article explaining the physics of Levitron.

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