Magnetic Levitation
Repelling magnets float a pencil or track section in mid-air — a tabletop maglev demonstration.
Start building ↓The build
Lay base magnets
Fix magnets along a base, all same pole up.
Prepare the floater
Attach magnets to the object, matching poles to repel.
Add guides
Use a rod or walls so it can't flip over.
Float it
Release and the object hovers on the repulsion.
Like magnetic poles repel; when that repulsion balances gravity, the object floats with a small air gap.
A closer look
Pure magnet levitation needs guides because it is unstable (Earnshaw's theorem); real maglev trains use active control to stay centred.
Variables to test
- 1 Add weight — how much can it float?
- 2 Remove the guide — why does it flip?
More Physics
Homopolar Motor
A single AA battery, a magnet and a copper-wire loop spin into the simplest electric motor that actually works.
Switchable Electromagnet
Coil insulated wire around an iron bolt and a battery turns it into a magnet you can switch on, off, and strengthen at will.
Pendulum Timer
A swinging mass keeps remarkably steady time — build one and discover what really sets its rhythm.