Levitation and Suspension of Superconductors via Magnets

[sivadfa]

You mentioned that it was a "type 2" super conductor, what is "type 1" and what does the types mean?

[DaRkLORDnUb]

I thought liquid nitrogen cracked everything..... How does this work?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@DaRkLORDnUb Liquid nitrogen just gets things very cold... Things with a lot of water (like fruit) freeze and crack. Other things (like metals) just get very, very cold.

[DaRkLORDnUb]

@IthacaCollegePhysics Thanks!

[mphello]

Obviously, Conservation of Energy (and Entropy) still has to apply.

The energy required to cool down the magnet will always be greater than the kinetic energy and sum of forces of acceleration (e.g. using a piece of paper to give the magnet a push) times distance. Although, I'm sure, the difference btw the energy input and the useful work of transport done is very small

(i.e. highly efficient) for this technology, compared to other technologies

(like an ICE!).

[DrinkUrPruneJuice77]

@saloniSurana where did you get YBCO???

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@DrinkUrPruneJuice77 We bought our from a company in Germany, evico.de.  They cost about $700.

[saloniSurana]

i made a YBCO superconductor but it is not working. can we do something do make it successful??

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@saloniSurana In order to get it to stay on the track you have to have enhanced flux pinning. This is not easy to accomplish, and also too long for a YouTube reply!

[saloniSurana]

can u please explain me what is vortex and flux exactly as i am in 11th grade only.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@saloniSurana Sorry, that is too complicated for a YouTube comment! I suggest you look on Wikipedia for magnetic flux vortex.

[JosePablo24]

if you put this in a vacuum chamber, could it move without stopping?

because the only friction is made by air, i guess

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@JosePablo24 No, there is a lot of what is essentially magnetic friction -- it will still stop moving because of the joints in the magnets.

[JosePablo24]

@IthacaCollegePhysics magnetic friction? like because of the inconsistency of forces? =P

[2milehigh]

4 people don't understand whats happening with the superconductor

[brenck]

Where do I buy a superconductor? Is there something I can open to get one from?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@brenck The information to build a track is included in our paper linked in the description. The only difference is we bought our superconductors from a company in Germany for $700.

[XxXIANXxXXxXIANXxX]

The roller-coaster possibilities are endless!

[themrfj]

Is this magnet Neodymium?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@themrfj Yes, the magnets are NdBFe magnets.

[emperorofcheese27]

Now all we need to do is find a superconducter that works at room temperature.

[enocon22]

If your track is 10kg and your superconductor is 100g, and you put it all on a scale. Would the scale show 10kg? Or would it be effexted by the superconductor and become 10 100kg? Like, if the weight of the superconductor added to the overall weight eaven if it levitates? I'm in 11th(16 years old) grade so sorry if it's a stupid question.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@enocon22 Great question. The scale will read 10kg + 100 g, the mass of the track AND the superconductor. It will read this when it is levitating and when it warms up, stops levitating, and falls to the track. Take physics in the 12th grade, and you'll learn exactly why this happens!

[enocon22]

@IthacaCollegePhysics Okey, thanks :)

[DaRkLORDnUb]

@IthacaCollegePhysics Could you give me the supplies on how to build a super conductor?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@DaRkLORDnUb The information to build a track is included in our paper linked in the description. The only difference is we bought our superconductors from a company in Germany for $700.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@DaRkLORDnUb Check out the paper linked in the description, it tells you how to build the track. We bought our superconductor from a company in Germany.

[Ollie1405]

@enocon22 At 5:10 you see the loop moving a little bit when the superconductor passes by, meaning that gravity still plays a role in this.

It actually is pretty obvious, as the permanent magnet pushes the superconductor up with magnet fields, the superconductor also pushes the magnet down with the same magnet fields.

[JosePablo24]

@enocon22 well, the superconductor is holding from somewhere, and that is from the force between the track and the superconductor, so basically it is holding from the track, so the weight is resting on the track.

well, that's my conclusion, it makes sense but im 16 as well :P

[enocon22]

@JosePablo24 Thats what I thought, thx :)

[DaRkLORDnUb]

@enocon22 It's okay. I am only in 7th grade XD

[delightfullyshit]

@enocon22 It would weigh in at 10.1kg

[danger2society78]

If a copper wire was placed between the superconductor and the magnets would the wire's electrons flow in a certain direction?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@danger2society78 No, the electrons in the wire wouldn’t feel a force. If it were a loop instead, they would move, but their movement would be miniscule – you wouldn’t get any current out of that loop.

[drumaboy013]

360p that wants to be 240p

[bayian]

I would like to know the dimensions for a larger puck and the dimensions for the smaller puck and how much each cost. Thanks

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@bayian There's only one puck in this video, just insulated one is insulated and the other is not. The only place I can find to buy these superconductors now is a company in Germany. They are about 1 inch in diameter. We can make 1/2 inch diameter pucks at Ithaca College and are working to grow 1-inch diameter pucks. We sell the small ones for $50.

[keildouglas]

I have a question... If the superconductor was released on the track with the loop, and the track was contained within a vacuum, would the superconductor slow down and stop quickly, like in the video? Or would the motion be perpetual?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@keildouglas It would eventually stop, but not because of air resistance. The joints in the magnets create a slightly non-uniform magnetic field which causes what's essentially magnetic friction inside the superconductor. This friction will slow the superconductor down.

Also, it will warm up eventually, and stop superconducting, and when it does, it will not work at all, of course.

[psymon777]

Great drinking game here, you gotta take a shot every time he says "superconductor", you would get so wasted. 

[ipaqmaster]

5:20 for you thumbnailers

[Joelalati]

try the rollercoaster in an evacuated enclosure

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@Joelalati It's actually mostly magnetic friction that slows it down, so we could remove the air friction by putting it in a vacuum, but that won't help very much.

[jellington90]

Excellent video! Very informative.

[jellington90]

In the very first experiment, you say the magnet allows no magnetic field inside, however you mention you're using liquid nitrogen, which implies that it's a type II superconductor and will allow field inside (and it does look like there's some flux pinning going on).

Also you mention that it doesn't allow field inside by becoming a magnet. I was under the impression that external magnetic fields create currents inside which have field lines in opposition to the external field?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@jellington90 Yes, you are absolutely right; the information in the voiceover is simplified so we can discuss the basics of what is happening without going into details about superconductivity too much.

The superconductor is YBCO, or Y-123 (YBa2Cu3O7) and is type-II, so it admits some magnetic field. It suspends below the track because it can also pin the magnetic flux, as you point out.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@jellington90 When the superconductor creates magnetic field in opposition to the external field, it behaves the same way a magnet would.

[jony1710]

Amazing stuff! i have been researching BEC in the hope to understand stuff i don't understand enough to say what i'm trying to understand!

[CheeseBon]

thats nice, BUT CAN SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE A SUPER CONDUCTOR SUIT AND A ROOM WITH MAGNET WALLS>!>!??

[MrTurkishDelightx]

My group and I are attempting a similar project and came across a problem with the track. When we place the magnets much like you do on your experiment (S-N-S..), whenever the superconductor comes to the end of one magnet, where it would transition over to the other magnet, it stops and changes direction. Is there a way to prevent this from occurring? Thank you in advance.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@MrTurkishDelightx Are you sure the magnets are magnetized through their thickness, and not end-to-end? End-to-end is the case with typical bar magnets.

Take a look at the paper we wrote (the link is in the description) and see if the diagrams there answer your question. If not, feel free to email me with pictures of your track.

[diehardskifreak93]

How did you make the puck? What was used for insulation? Also, do you hav any recommendations if the puck is to go upside down? I'm using 1" x 0.5" x 0.25" Thick NdFeB Rare Earth Magnets n42, will that be strong enough?

Thanks!

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@diehardskifreak93 Check out the link in the description, it will tell you how we made the track and the insulation we used. The magnets you propose to use will work fine.

Where did you get the superconductor? We're trying to grow them here at Ithaca College, I don't know of a place to get them cheaply.

[diehardskifreak93]

@IthacaCollegePhysics The ones we are using are not ideal. I believe they are from Colorado Superconductor Inc. We used YBCO I think and they are expensive and not very big, but it might be worth a look. I looked up the paper you guys wrote, but I was wondering what you did to easily replenish the puck with liquid nitrogen. Is part of it easily detachable?

Thanks for the help!

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@diehardskifreak93 Yes, we have a couple from Colorado Superconductor. They're the only ones still making them in the USA as far as I know.

We didn't have any kind of liquid storage device for the pucks -- it made them too heavy. We just wrapped them in insulation and then cooled them, and then removed them from the liquid nitrogen and let them warm up slowly in the air.

[brtos]

How much does a superconductor cost?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@brtos We bought ours for $125. The company we bought them from doesn't make them anymore, we have found a place in Germany that sells them for $700. We hope to be able to grow them at Ithaca College by August 2011, and we plan to sell them to other people interested in making demonstrations for $125.

[dman1z90]

where can i pick up one of the pucks??????

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@dman1z90 You can get very small one from Colorado superconductor for about $100. Large, nice ones are $700 from a German company. We hope to be able to grow them here at Ithaca College by August 2011, and we plan to sell them to other people interested in making demonstrations for $125.

[baijokull]

@IthacaCollegePhysics Just wondering, have you managed to grow them at Ithaca yet and are you selling them?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@baijokull We can grow small ones, 1/2-inch diameter pucks. We're working to grow larger ones now. The larger ones are more impressive for the demonstrations, of course.

We will sell them to anyone interested in making a demonstration or using them for science outreach. We only charge the cost of the starting materials, which for the small ones is about $50.

[jh014809]

Thanks

[jh014809]

Great video, I read the paper link as well. Very interesting. But I thought SCI engineered materials didn't sell to the public?

please answer

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@jh014809 They've stopped making them since we wrote the paper. We're working to grow crystals here at Ithaca College, we can grow small ones and hope to be able to grow large ones by the end of summer 2011.

[chrixthegreat]

Why don't superconductors levitate in the earths magnetic field. Is the field to weak or is there some other reason

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@chrixthegreat You're right -- the Earth's field is about 50 microTesla (0.00005 T).  The field from the strong permanent magnets is about 1.5 Telsa -- 30,000 times larger! That's why the superconductors don't levitate in the Earth's field.

[sqbsbear]

nice vid, very cool demos :)

[haqona]

how much we need of weight of superconductor to make it able to left heavy subjects attached to a metal. I can see that when you push a little bit harder the magnet and the superconductor still touch each other ... how to make it much stronger carrier?!

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@haqona It's not the size of the superconductor, but the quality. Lots of scientists re trying to make better quality superconductors, and what they are trying to do is too complicated to discuss here.

[L00NGB00W]

What would happen if the track did not have the perpendicular sections?

Would the superconductor decelerate at the ends once it felt the field's orientation change?

I suppose one could also make a track out of a tubular or torroidal electromagnet. with the superconductor on the inside.

Eeek! Transport tubes!!! Just like Futurama! XD

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@L00NGB00W The superconductor would still stop because the field changes, as you say. The perpendicular magnets just make the field change more abrupt so the brakes are more dramatic.

[portugalbetaEalfa]

what type of superconductor is this one? I or II? Answer please ^^

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@portugalbetaEalfa All cuprate superconductors (high-temperature superconductors) are type-II. You can't get flux-pinning in a type-I superconductor. This is YBa2Cu3O7, sometimes called YBCO or Y-123. It has a Tc of about 93 K and it is strongly type-II.

[portugalbetaEalfa]

@IthacaCollegePhysics Thanks ^^ nice from you to reply!

[Twixgtx]

so, how long would you say it's gonna take to use this concept in everyday vehicles? i saw on NatGeo or it might have been History, but anyway, New York is going to replace all the power lines with underground superconductor's. if its successful or if it works and saves lots of money for New York, then do you think its possible for us to change our infrastructure to use magnetic cars? if superconducting becomes that easy, then shouldn't we use it for a better infrastructure?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@Twixgtx We still have to keep the superconductors cold, so superconducting power lines are only economic in big cities that need a lot of power (like New York City). We're still looking for room-temperature superconductors, and when we find them, the whole world will change. Until then, our infrastructure probably won't change too much (though superconducting MagLev trains are in the works).

[Twixgtx]

@IthacaCollegePhysics thx! here's another question, has the technology in producing liquid nitrogen been going foward? in other words, is the process taking up less space than 20 years ago and less time? i'm just really curious about this kind of thing cuz it has a lot of potential to change the world. imagine seeing people walking in the grass, in shade while drivers glide across a track above them. and imagine a world where the most used fuel is the most abundant resource in the atmosphere.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@Twixgtx Liquid nitrogen is currently less expensive than gasoline -- about $2.50/gallon. So we can make a lot of nitrogen very cheaply, like you say, we just take it from the air. But there are no plans to turn it into a fuel, and it can be dangerous in liquid form (though no more dangerous than gasoline). So, to answer your question, the technology is already in place to make lots of LN2 cheaply -- there's just need for it (at least not like gasoline).

[Twixgtx]

@IthacaCollegePhysics thats pretty badass. thx for the responses, i hate when people just completely ignore the comments.

[wl02232626]

the silver is hot or cold ?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@wl02232626 They are nickel-plated magnets. The magnets are at room temperature, so 22 degrees Celsius

[stludachris]

do ufo's work like this?..using the earth's magnetic field? do these experiments make any sound?..ufo's usually don't...so i've heard.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@stludachris Naturally, I can't say much about UFOs. However, I can say that the Earth's magnetic field is not strong enough to levitate anything, much less a hypothetical spaceship.

And these experiments do make sound. Check out our other videos, we haven't muted the soundtrack.

[delvinmacmillen18]

@stludachris UFO are not real, only to the tards.

[stludachris]

@delvinmacmillen18 Flying objects that are unidentified are real you tard. 

[delvinmacmillen18]

@stludachris Ok if you say so. If you really believe in UFO, then you believe in alien, not talking about Mexican or aircraft from other country. Ok so we are on the same page. Your talking about photoshop images. So if you believe it then there is no further to go with you cause your a mentally redneck, hillbilly, cracker jacker, insane clown pussy.

[stludachris]

@delvinmacmillen18 most every scientist, astronomer, astrophysicist, etc... agrees that the probability that there is alien life somewhere else in the universe is high. the universe is so large that our minds, let alone your puny brain, can't even comprehend it. have you ever seen the photo of the pale blue dot (90's voyager 1's picture of earth)....if not look into it and shut up.

[delvinmacmillen18]

@stludachris I agree with you that there is a possibility that there is other live form out there. But when i say UFO you think of big circle aircraft or triangle, or if i say alien you think skinny, short, big eye looking creature. Why cause you watch to many people that loose there sense reality. You believe what you see. I believe there is other life form out in space. I dont believe they look like that or fly big saucers. If there is alien, i believe they dont look like how everyone thought

[delvinmacmillen18]

@stludachris I believe life form in outer space mite be microscopic, or the size of a dog or human. You can ask anyone. What first comes to mind when you say alien? And they will describe the average looking alien people show cause that is what they put in you head, also the same thing go for UFO. Is there life form out in space? I dont know. No one know for show. There is no evidence. So until then that is all fake. And if there is life out there i dont think they had visited earth or smart.

[delvinmacmillen18]

@stludachris And i just seen there picture of that dot. Hmmmmmm. Look like a star. Dumb shit Your retarded. What proof does that makes? There has been alot of picture where things appear and cant be explained. What kinda evidence do you have to prove to me that is a UFO or life form? Shit. Go suck a alien penis if they have one. How do they reproduce?

[stludachris]

@delvinmacmillen18 you must be an idiot...its NOT a UFO or life form...the pale blue dot is voyager's view of our EARTH from over 3.7 BILLION miles away... So as far as life form's being on that pale blue dot, it is everyone you know and love and basically everything you have ever known is in that one little tiny pale blue dot of a spec. Now did you see the rest of the billions and billions and billions of dots in that photograph? Ever heard of probabilities? Geesh...

[delvinmacmillen18]

@stludachris Yes there is a probabilities of other life forms. Space never ends. There is no limit which i know of.

[lubanks]

After posting my last comment i went and read your paper it pretty much answered most of my question except one. Due you have any adhesive between the magnets that make up the track?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@lubanks There is no need for an adhesive; they are stuck to the track magnetically. In fact, they are *very* hard to move.

[lubanks]

I realized that we initially tried to build the track on a sheet of metal that was to thin, so the attractive force between the magnets and metal was overcome by the repulsive force between the magnets causing them to separate. After realizing that, I got a 3' x 18" x0.25" steel plate and successfully built a circular track (took 10hr). In my set up we are using a Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 superconductor. It experiences little flux pinning, as a result, it ends up falling off the track at higher speeds.

[lubanks]

I'm in the process of making a maglev train for a school project and am wandering what the orientation of the magnets on the track are with respect to their poles. If the south poles are in the middle and the north poles on the edges, how did you get them to stay together this way? Also after watching your video i am now worried that i made a bad investment in buying BSCCO superconductors for this project, seeing as how its not a flux pinning disk...

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@lubanks The magnets are magnetized through their thickness, not along their length like typical bar magnets. They actually stick together quite easily. See our paper (the link is in the description) for more information.

Yes, BSCCO is not a good choice; it has to be a flux-pinning superconductor. We are growing them here at Ithaca College and hope to have some ready to sell for projects like your by the end of the summer.

[Kardenum]

Just wondering if you have compared the efficiency of your superconductor on the 'rollercoaster' to the efficiency of a normal small metal ball. Should be interesting!

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

@Kardenum : Unfortunately, the roller coaster is very inefficient it only goes around once or twice.  With this bumpy track, thats better than a small aluminum ball can do, however.

[potludog]

could UFOs be big superconductors on the giant magnet that is Earth? or any planet for that matter

What i mean is, do you think it could ever be built to that scale?

what would it take?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

The Earth's magnetic field is too weak to be able to support something as large as a UFO, even if we could make superconductors the size of a car and keep them below the superconducting transition temperature.

[SixStringSamuraiGuy]

F-Zero, here we come.

[coolnitin2110]

oop quality......cant see details...

[SachinProductions]

You should try to make a mini maglev train.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

We're working on it! We have a figure-8 track (see our other video) and are currently building a train.

[AzerathAngelWolf]

Now get a giant magnetic plate, then use smaller magnets to play some epic pong with the conductor. That would be the most awesome thing thing ever.

[MMurchie]

Great video! Thanks for posting this up.

I have a question though:

I know that this is true for magnetic suspension, but does the superconductor have to be an enhanced flux-pinning superconductor for the levitation part? Or will a normal YBCO superconductor work?

Thanks.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

All YBCO pucks have some flux pinning. Without enhanced flux pinning, the YBCO will levitate and will sort-of stay on the track. But it definitely won't suspend below it.

[MMurchie]

Thanks for replying!

I found you can buy normal YBCO and BSCCO superconductors with diameters up to about an inch online (Colorado Superconductors), But I can't seem to find enhanced flux pinning ones larger than half an inch in diameter.

Where did you obtain yours?

Thanks

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

Colorado Superconductor is pretty much the only place that makes pucks now, and as you say, their flux-pinning pucks are small. The place where we got ours no longer makes them, unfortunately. We found another place in Germany that makes them for like 500 euros (~$800), but that's too expensive for most people.

We're trying to grow our own here at Ithaca College and will give them out when we succeed. We're pretty close, we'll have large flux-pinning pucks probably in another six months or so.

[MMurchie]

Thanks for all the information!

Well I guess it will have to be Colorado Superconductors then.

Good luck on developing your own!

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

We've had some success making pucks, and we plan to have large (1" diameter) pucks ready by the end of summer 2010.

[MMurchie]

@IthacaCollegePhysics Wow, you remembered after all this time! Well, you're just in time, I was thinking of getting some superconductors this summer. I look forward to hearing from you again when you're done. Best of luck!

[Scottnice]

have you tried suspending the superconductor and using a magnetic field to rotate it then measure the weight of an object placed directly over it to see if the weight decreased?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

I'm not sure I follow. If I have a superconductor on a scale that weighs 1 N (1 newton). If my track weighs 10 N, when the superconductor levitates above the track, the scale will still read 11 N, whether the superconductor is levitating or not. Adding something above the superconductor won't make a difference.

[OldSchoolSkill]

Dear ICP,

THANKS for this great video!

It might be problematic to make a vacuum chamber for some of these demonstrations, but It'd be worth the trouble!

The "full pipe" demo is super-cool (pardon the pun), but it demonstrates entropy with air resistance. If you could do that in a near-perfect vacuum, how long would the super-conductor "ride?" How long would a magnet spin? I'd LOVE to see that!

FIZIX ROX!

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

Thanks for the comment. We had a great time making the demo and showing it to people here on YouTube.

Unfortunately, it's not air resistance that slows it down. At the joints of the magnets, the magnetic field isn't constant. Those slight changes in the field cause the superconductor to slow down -- it's magnetic drag. To get rid of that, we have to have completely uniform field, and there's no easy way to do that.

[OldSchoolSkill]

Hey there!

Thanks for the reply!

I wondered if my assessment was correct or not.

Obviously "not."

I sincerely appreciate your explanation, because now I can research "magnetic drag" and "uniform magnetic fields" for more information.

To prevent a self-perpetuating chain of replies, I hereby let-you-off-the-hook from replying to this message. I'll do more homework on the subject.

Until next time, THANKS! &

THIS IS A GREAT AND NOBLE USE OF THE INTERNET!

[R3G1C1D31]

This is cool, and I like how it hovers. My parents bought me one, and it can even be hovering upside down =]

[aaammaaa11111111]

where I can buy the superconductor ??

I caaaan't find it :@

is it expensive ????

I want to do the experiment in my school

plllz help :(

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

The place where we bought ours (SCI Engineered materials) doesn't make them anymore. We're trying to find a new place to buy them or learn to make them ourselves. Until then, we don't know where to find one either.

[MrBruzzo]

Search in google for "YBCO".

You will find an advertisement on the right hand side.

[Dreamland2100]

can someone pls answer me few question:

will these hts plate gain weight when the magnet put on it ?

weght(hts plate+magnet>hts plate,or  hts plate+magnet=hts plate)??

did the earth g-force play any disturb function in this system or it was been "insulate"???

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

The mass of the superconducting puck remains constant, so the weight (the gravitational force due to the Earth) will remain the same.

There are additional forces on the superconductor, namely an upward force to balance gravity when it is levitating and when it is suspended.

[Dreamland2100]

i will very appreciate it your answering me again.

(sorry if i was lack retree in English)

wht i really want to know tht is the weight (when all of these superconducting system put on the weighing machine ,it been cooling down and later a magnet put on and levitated,

just observation and its weight still constant "after and before" a magnet have there??)

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

Suppose you have a superconductor on a scale that weighs 1 N (1 newton). You have a magnet that weighs 0.1 N. When you place the magnet above the superconductor, the scale will read 1.1 N -- whether the magnet is levitating or not.

[Dreamland2100]

Thank you,it was detail.

[church947]

i was wondering can u get a super conducter that is for dry ice.

Ive been trying to find it.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

No material has been found to superconduct above -135 Celsius (about -250 degrees Fahrenheit). Dry ice is about -110 degrees Fahrenheit, so we've a long way to go just to reach dry ice temperatures.

[i4mcon]

My physics teacher said that just 2 weeks ago they found one for 240 deg.K so -30 deg.C

[DunkDaMan1]

hi, i'm only 13(and i know'age doesn't matter') but my school will probably never teach me this and i was just wondering if anyone could give more information about it and if this is what they use on the japanese magnetic tracks.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

Levitation occurs due to the expulsion of magnetic fields, creating a magnetic force to float it above the track. It suspends below the track due to magnetic field trapping. This tends to keep the field constant so it does not want to change, hence it will fight gravity to keep the magnetic field constant.

There is one train in Japan that uses superconductors like this. Most MagLev trains use electromagnets.

[sirsoham]

Hey again. I managed to replicate the track. However, when the superconductor levitates, it seems to meet resistance at the points where the rows of magnets connect. I was wondering how I could fix this and get the magnet levitating freely. Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks!

[sidthegr8est]

AMAZING >>>> JUST AMAZING

[LeJoker88]

That was sick

[jamdgoodAnGEl]

can i use this video in my report? i'm a little short in money and i can't find some of the materials needed for this experiment here in my place, only for a visual aid?...tnx.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

Of course you are welcome to use the video. If you can, an acknowledgment for Ithaca College in your presentation would be appreciated.

[jamdgoodAnGEl]

of course i will, tnx:)

[sirsoham]

I was hoping to reproduce the magnetic track experiment, and was wondering where to obtain the type 410 steel and shim shocks. I would appreciate it if anyone could let me know about this.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

You can read how we built it in our paper (linked in the description for the video). We bought the shims and stock from McMaster Carr.

[sirsoham]

Thanks. The steel was like $170 from other places. I am hoping to experiment with a version of this for a science fair.

[asphixa]

i was just wondering, is it possible without a magnet, i mean another sort of material?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

No, superconductors only have this unique behavior with regards to magnetic field; hence, magnets are necessary.

[stevo12369]

i heard soemwhere that ormus particles might be able to be room temperature superconductor? tell me if i heard that from a retard please :D

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

Ormus particles are another example of pseudo-science. Trust me, if we had room-temperature superconductors, the world would be quite different, and whoever discovered them would be universally famous.

[stevo12369]

ok ok. it has never been proven. i hear we've only learned about ormes within the last 12 years? should ppl not even study ormes? is it a waste of time? researchers admit they know very little about it.

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

I can find no mention of ORMEs or ORMUS in any reputable scientific journal. I do not presume to say what scientists should or should not study; however, I cannot accept the wild claims the websites make in regards to ORMUS particles without data and research to back up their claims. Such research would be published in scientific journals where would undergo peer review. Without peer review and without being published, it is just pseudo-science, as believable as a fairy tale.

[stevo12369]

okie dokie smokie! thanks a bunch for clearing things up :D

[thegitboxshredder]

is that how those bullet trains work

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

They work on levitation via magnets, but usually they use two electromagnets, rather than magnets and superconductors. I think there's only one train in Japan, and only for a few kilometers, that uses superconductors.

[ruicgf123]

nice!

[9drumdrummer3]

can i do that without liquid hydrogen?

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

We used liquid nitrogen -- liquid hydrogen is much colder (about 20 kelvin, as opposed to 77 kelvin for nitrogen), and much more dangerous.

Unfortunately, no one has discovered a room-temperature superconductor (yet), and the material has to be cold in order to superconduct. Without the liquid nitrogen, it is just a rather boring, expensive, brittle rock.

Whoever discovers a superconductor that does not require cooling will 1: become rich and famous, and 2: win the Nobel Prize in Physics.

[9drumdrummer3]

cool :D...unfortunably...i'm not that smart :(

[andrewgarcia86]

awesome demo! let's plate the ground somewhere with room-temp tracks and make a hoverboard park!

[Adelbert1309]

Cool!! Thanks for the info!!

[spectrelives]

nerd!

Nah just kidding. This is so cool, i wonder how it's being applied on a larger scale?

[DaniOcean]

Pretty well, currently there are two trains that use the same principle with third in construction. They are pretty expansive, but I think this is the future of trains as a hole.