Why Doesn't Gold Work for Jumping Rings?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the phenomenon of jumping rings, specifically exploring why gold does not exhibit the same behavior as other metals like aluminum, silver, iron, and steel in this demonstration. Participants inquire about the underlying physical principles and properties that may influence the results, including the material's density and electromagnetic characteristics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Mike notes that while metals like aluminum and silver work well in the jumping rings demonstration, gold does not, prompting the question of why this is the case.
  • Dario expresses curiosity and requests more details about the experiment and the differences in behavior between gold and silver.
  • Mike clarifies that the gold ring used is an 18ct wedding ring, which is close to pure gold.
  • Dario questions whether the gold ring was genuine and suggests that the size or modifications to the ring could affect its performance in the experiment.
  • Another participant wonders if the density of gold, being heavier than aluminum, plays a role in its behavior during the demonstration.
  • One participant proposes that gold's magnetic permeability or electric permittivity might be factors influencing the results.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the reasons for gold's lack of performance in the jumping rings demonstration. Multiple competing views and hypotheses are presented, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the specific properties of gold compared to other metals, including its density and electromagnetic characteristics. The discussion also highlights the potential influence of the ring's physical condition and authenticity.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in experimental physics, materials science, or those curious about the properties of metals in electromagnetic demonstrations may find this discussion relevant.

mike
Guys & Gals

Everyone has seen the jumping rings demonstration….

Aluminium works fine, so does silver, iron and steel just stick to the coil

Cut slots or drill holes in the disks and you get what you would expect

BUT…

Why doesn’t gold work?

Cheers

Mike
 
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Sorry, I have no clue what you are talking about but it sounds interesting so if you want to add some detail I will gladly learn more about it

Dario
 
Now I know what a jumping ring is but I am still clueless about what could make gold and silver behave differently in such an experiment. Is it a well known fact or something you have tried personally?
Because the first thing I would think about is "was your gold real gold?"...

;) Dario
 
18ct gold wedding ring, not quite pure but very close

mike
 
Originally posted by mike
18ct gold wedding ring, not quite pure but very close

mike

have to say its curious gold wouldnt

1. do you know the answer?
2. did you actually try it?

the way I interpret your post you actually did try it
and are puzzled like us

were the other rings you tried substantially bigger
or smaller than the gold finger-ring?

has the gold ring been cut and soldered closed?
sometimes rings passed down in the family
have had the size adjusted by removing a small
section

dont see how either should make any difference but
would like to know. sounds quite bizarre that gold would not jump
 
I wonder if the density matters.

gold is heavier than aluminum
 
Maybe it has something to do with gold's magnetic permeability or electric permetivity...
 

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