Physics Stack Exchange
Physics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [levitation]

114 questions
21
votes
4 answers

Can lasers lift objects?

I have been fascinated by a very intriguing question - Can lasers push objects up? Let's say we have a $1000~\text{mW}$ laser and we would like to lift an object of weight $100~\text{g}$. By definition: $1~\text{W} = 1…
Gajanand Jha
  • 377
19
votes
4 answers

Can I levitate an object without using an electromagnet?

I know that it's possible to make an object levitate using an electromagnet to hold it up. But is it also possible to do this with regular magnets? Is there a special kind of magnet I need in order to have one powerful enough to hold an object…
BeemerGuy
  • 341
19
votes
3 answers

Explanation for this type of (magic-trick) suspension?

Well let's start off with that I'm not a physicist but I'd like some thoughts on something I came across in my hometown. This guy: Is it possible that due to the electrical charge of magnets this guy can make the illusion that he can float ? Or is…
Nicolas Pierre
  • 301
17
votes
3 answers

Can superconducting magnets fly (or repel the earth's core)?

If a superconducting magnet and appropriate power supply had just enough $I\cdot s$ (current $\cdot$ length) so that when it was perpendicular to the earth's magnetic field, the force of the interaction was just enough to excede the force exerted on…
brysgo
  • 511
16
votes
5 answers

Does a magnetically suspended frog feel weightless?

Magnetic levitation has been used to suspend frogs in midair. I was wondering: Does the animal still feel gravitational pull? I mean: Does the frog feel like an astronaut on the ISS, or does he feel like a trapeze artist suspended by a harness?
yippy_yay
  • 2,648
14
votes
3 answers

How does Hendo hoverboards achieve the self-propelling motion? What is the MFA?

From what I understand of the idea behind Hendo hoverboards, they use four disc shaped hover-engines to generate a self-propelling motion. I also understand that it uses Lenz's law and eddy currents. And that the hendo-hoverboards only work in…
Luxii
  • 263
  • 1
  • 1
  • 8
12
votes
2 answers

What is the exact physics behind sonic levitation

Me and a group of friends decided to choose sonic levitation as our research topic. However, after looking up the theoretical background, we hit a roadblock: (Here is an image of a standing sound wave, we'll just need to imagine this on its…
Giovanni
  • 121
12
votes
2 answers

How is stable levitation possible?

This question is with reference to the video in this blog post: http://www.universetoday.com/90183/quantum-levitation-and-the-superconductor/ My question is the following: how is the disc stable in its levitated position? Specifically, 25 seconds…
Anonymous
  • 347
11
votes
2 answers

Is it possible to levitate a toy maglev train using only permanent magnets as long as the train stays in motion?

I am fascinated with magnets, and specifically the idea of magnetic levitation. I recently purchased a Levitron toy maglev train and have enjoyed finding the perfect sweet spot at which it levitates, and I understand that the Levitron does not…
Dustin Lovell
  • 121
11
votes
2 answers

How do superconducting materials float in magnetic field?

The movie Avatar got me interested in the subject, but so far I only found sophisticated articles loaded with unfamiliar words. Is there a simple way to explain how magnetic field affects superconducting materials in a way that causes them to float?
user1306322
  • 1,281
10
votes
3 answers

Is magnetic levitation a good way to vibrationally isolate a speaker from its support?

I recently heard about this company planning to sell a magnetically levitating bluetooth speaker. I understand that the levitation is partly motivated by visual aesthetics, but on the website the company makes this claim: How does [speaker name]…
jkej
  • 6,235
9
votes
6 answers

Could there theoretically exist a material so light, that it can levitate in the air just due to the in height decreasing air pressure?

Airplanes can fly because the pressure on the top of the wing is lower than on the bottom. But the difference in pressure must be huge in order to lift an enire airplane. Also, the difference in air pressure between, let's say, Mount Everest and sea…
J.Doe
  • 131
9
votes
3 answers

Earth magnetic field space elevator. No cable

I have an idea that the space elevator can be build in the following conditions: Not a classic theory. No cable. No Geostatic orbit. Not equator platform position The possible platform / base position is Earth's south magnetic pole - Antarctica, or…
Alexander Spacelifter
  • 128
9
votes
2 answers

Magnetic Levitation : Confusion with Lenz's Law

Considering the above diagram, I am failing to see why the aluminium ring floats upwards rather than oscillates. I understand Faraday's law, but I am struggling with Lenz's law - as there is an alternating current, an alternating magnetic field is…
DreamsOfHummus
  • 191
  • 1
  • 3
9
votes
1 answer

How much magnetic field will be required to levitate a human?

According to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqKeiiezqzc it should be possible to levitate humans because the water in our bodies is diamagnetic - but it is stated (at 1:14) "although the magnetic fields required would be enormous". So I…
Nakul
  • 91
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8