Part 1: Maglev toy: diamagnetic pyrolytic carbon lifts magnets

A supermagnet cube floats between graphite disks. The cube is lifted by the ceramic magnet a few cm above it, while the two carbon disks repel the cube, keeping it stable. This small physics toy was from Dr. Martin Simon (no longer sold.) A larger version was sold by Educational Innovations: Or make your own, buy $5 pyrolytic graphite wafers from Scitoys http://tinyurl.com/8k6jm, and supermagnets from http://www.wondermagnet.com/ and http://www.supermagnetman.net/

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Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• maglev
• supermagnets
• magnet
• neodymium
• neo
• magnetic
• levitation
• diamagnetic
• pyrolytic
• graphite
• antigravity
• amasci

[diegoricepogo]

why doesnt the magnet get shot out the side due to the repuksion from from the graphite?

[wbeaty]

@diegoricepogo graphite repulsion is a plane, with little side force.  Attraction to upper magnet is roughly a sphere = bowl-shape, with large inward side force. Also notice floating graphite square, levitated just above sixteen magnet cubes.

[dochsierra]

For the whole video i observed the downright corner supernatural floating plate.

[wbeaty]

@dochsierra A thin plate of the special graphite. It wiggled. At 0:34 it moved around. And again at 1:22

[rvernet2016]

where can this be bought?

[wbeaty]

@rvernet2016 read the text caption? You have to click the little downarrows button that's below the video.

[Saristas711]

Imagine if you made this a lot bigger wear a magnet suit and float in the middle.

[onthecuttingedge2005]

Hey Beaty, could you see if the pyrolytic carbon acts as a good magnetic shield? sandwich a piece of the carbon between two small magnets to see if the carbon blocks the main magnetic field.

[TheRealVerbz2]

Blow on it through a straw to get it spinning faster rather than touching with the pen.

:o)

Awesome stuff!

[laxwolf]

Is there any way to repel common gases in the air? That would be awesome if you could and created an unlimited energy generator by spinning a magnet in a space-like environment.

[codegix]

U can make UFO with magnet. if you can bring magnet to the air by using magnetic itself, you can have flying saucer

[killerbeenl]

His toy thingy :P interesting