Levitation and Suspension of Superconductors via Magnets

As featured on the Nov. 9 2011 episode of the Colbert Report!
From the Low Temperature Lab: a short movie exhibiting the quantum mechanical phenomenon of superconductivity and a brief explanation of one of its most intriguing consequences -- magnetic levitation and suspension. demonstrations include levitation above a ferromagnet, levitation above a magnetic track, and levitation/suspension on a magnetic roller coaster track. Paper link: http://arxiv.org/abs/0803.3090 See the high res version at http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/physics/facstaff/mcsullivan/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Superconductor
• Superconductivity
• Meissner Effect
• Levitation
• Suspension
• YBCO
• HTSC
• Ithaca College
• Physics
• Ithaca College Physics

[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.

[DrinkUrPruneJuice77]

@saloniSurana where did you get YBCO???

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

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

[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.

[ipaqmaster]

5:20 for you thumbnailers

[delightfullyshit]

@enocon22 It would weigh in at 10.1kg

[sivadfa]

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

[DaRkLORDnUb]

@IthacaCollegePhysics Thanks!

[JosePablo24]

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

[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.

[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!

[IthacaCollegePhysics]

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

[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.