Create visible light with spinning magnet?

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the feasibility of generating visible light through the rapid rotation of a neodymium magnet, specifically a 1 cm diameter magnet. It explores the potential of using a rotation frequency of 100 MHz to create an FM radio transmitter and questions whether increasing the speed to 430 THz would result in the magnet glowing red. Calculations indicate that spinning the magnet at 100 MHz would produce forces approximately 1012 times that of Earth's gravity, which is sufficient to cause structural failure in macroscopic objects, thus highlighting the impracticality of this method for generating radio waves or light.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electromagnetic theory
  • Familiarity with neodymium magnets and their properties
  • Basic knowledge of rotational dynamics
  • Concepts of frequency and wave generation
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of electromagnetic wave generation
  • Study the effects of high rotational speeds on materials
  • Learn about FM radio transmitter design and operation
  • Investigate alternative methods for generating visible light
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, engineers, and hobbyists interested in electromagnetic phenomena, radio wave generation, and material science will benefit from this discussion.

jafeucht
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Let's say you have a strong spherical neodymium magnet (for the purposes of this example, let's give it a 1 cm diameter), and you were to place it on a machine which rapidly rotates the magnet. If you were to rotate it at 100 MHz, could you build an FM radio transmitter? Supposing it were possible, if you were to increase the speed to 430 THz, will the magnet glow red? Has this experiment been done before?

What is the highest rotation frequency without causing damage to the magnet?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
jafeucht said:
What is the highest rotation frequency without causing damage to the magnet?

Back of the envelope says that the forces at the tips of a 1cm bar magnet spinning 100,000,000 times a second will be about 1012 that of the Earth's gravity. That's far more than is needed to tear any macroscopic object apart.

(Don't take my word for it! You can check my math easily enough, the acceleration experienced by an object moving at speed v along a circular path of radius r is ##\frac{v^2}{r}##)
 
Last edited:
Nugatory said:
Back of the envelope says that the forces at the tips of a 1cm bar magnet spinning 100,000,000 times a second will be about 1012 that of the Earth's gravity. That's far more than is needed to tear any macroscopic object apart.
And that's the reason why we prefer other ways to generate radio waves or light :smile:
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
14K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
8K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
5K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
6
Views
5K
  • · Replies 43 ·
2
Replies
43
Views
7K
Replies
1
Views
9K