Interesting Magnetix Set Question

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter KrakaJap
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of a spinning hexagon constructed from a Magnetix set, specifically focusing on the longevity of its spin and the factors affecting it, such as friction, air resistance, and magnetic forces. Participants explore the physics behind the observed phenomenon, including the conditions under which the hexagon remains in motion.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes creating a hexagon with a single ball supporting it magnetically and notes that it spins for an extended period, raising questions about the physics behind this observation.
  • Another participant suggests that the small frictional force contributes to the prolonged spin, attributing it to the low coefficient of friction and the balance of magnetic and gravitational forces.
  • Concerns are raised about air resistance and its potential impact on the spinning hexagon, with one participant questioning whether it would significantly slow down the motion.
  • A later reply clarifies that while air drag does slow down the spinning object, its effect is minimal due to the density of the magnets and the relatively low speed of rotation.
  • One participant shares their attempt to replicate the experiment, noting that their hexagon only spins for a short duration and often wobbles, indicating variability in results.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing experiences regarding the longevity of the spin, with some achieving longer durations than others. There is no consensus on the factors contributing to the observed spinning behavior, as discussions about friction, air resistance, and experimental outcomes reveal multiple competing views.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of detailed measurements of friction, air resistance, and the specific conditions under which the hexagon was spun. The discussion does not resolve the discrepancies in spin duration among different participants' experiments.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring concepts of magnetism, rotational motion, and experimental physics, particularly those curious about the effects of friction and air resistance on spinning objects.

KrakaJap
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I'm not very knowledgeable of physics as my main focus is computer technology. However, I purchased a Magnetix set from a local store a few days ago because I remembered these kinds of sets when I was a kid. With this 20 piece set I created a hexagon and had one remaining ball left over. I wanted to see if this one ball would hold up the entire hexagon construction from the middle (knowing that the middle ball would be completely magnetized by it's surrounding 6 magnetic links. Of course this worked so I decided to set up a make-shift stand to hold this one ball and hang the hexagon construction from this one ball via magnetism only. Then I decided to spin this hexagon construction. (This is the child inside me of course) :) So I left this construction spinning while I went to eat dinner with my fiance. About 3 hours later it was still spinning with no sign of slowing down. So I decided to leave it until morning. Next morning it was still spinning! And at what seemed to be the same speed! 48 hours later It still seems to be spinning at the same speed. I always thought this was impossible outside of a vaccum. Can anyone explain this to me?
 
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The frictional force is VERY small! This is due to both the coefficient of friction being small and the condition that the normal force is small (the magnetic force is just slightly greater than the gravitational force.)
 
Interesting... but what about wind resistance? Shouldn't that slow it down considerably after a short time?
 
Certainly air drag will slow them down but air drag varies as the square of the speed. The magnets are rather dense and are moving slowly enough that drag is not very effective at slowing them down though 48 hours does seem a long time!
 
Has anyone attempted to reproduce this experiment? I attempted it and my hexagon only spins from several seconds, up to about 2 minutes. It often develops a large wobble as it slows down.
 

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