DIME 2006 Glenbrook North H. S. Ferrofluids in Microgravity

A high school student team from Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois designed a microgravity experiment for the NASA DIME competition. This video clip shows ferrofluid surrounding a bar magnet which is exposed to microgravity during a free-fall drop in the NASA Glenn 2.2 Second Drop Tower.

The student team's experiment involved the shape of magnetic field lines as shown in three dimensions with ferrofluid surrounding a bar magnet. The experiment was released into free fall producing microgravity conditions for the experiments which reduces the effects of gravity.

Surprises do occur in scientific research and engineering tests. Such was the case with this experiment where apparently no difference can be seen between the 1-g situation and when the experiment is in microgravity. The microgravity time begins when an apparent downward shift of the video occurs. This is due to the camera shifting when the structure of the experiment relaxes in microgravity. There is no apparent change in the appearance or structure of the magnetic lines. This leads one to conclude that the magnetic forces at work are significantly stronger than the gravitational forces on the fluids.

http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/DIME.html

Category:

Education

Tags:

• microgravity
• Glenbrook
• North
• high
• school
• Northbrook
• Illinois
• NASA
• Dropping
• In
• Microgravity
• Environment
• DIME
• ferrofluid
• drop
• tower
• Glenn
• 2.2
• seconds

[Lux0rNT]

AMAIIZING...what happen?