How does water respond to repelling magnets and vice versa?

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SUMMARY

This discussion explores the interaction between water and repelling magnets, specifically focusing on how clean water behaves in the presence of magnetic fields. It is established that ordinary water has minimal interaction with magnets, allowing it to flow freely between repelling magnets. However, water containing iron can disrupt magnetic fields. Additionally, the phenomenon of magnetohydrodynamic drive requires polarized water to exhibit significant effects in magnetic fields, as seen in applications like MRI technology.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic magnetism and magnetic fields
  • Knowledge of water's physical properties, particularly in relation to magnetism
  • Familiarity with magnetohydrodynamics and its applications
  • Basic principles of MRI technology and proton behavior in magnetic fields
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of magnetohydrodynamics and its applications in engineering
  • Study the effects of impurities in water on magnetic field interactions
  • Learn about the operation and principles of MRI technology
  • Explore demonstrations of magnetic levitation, such as the frog levitation experiment
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physicists, engineers, and students interested in magnetism, fluid dynamics, and medical imaging technologies.

lorp
an old 'newbie' with first post. excuse my physics knowledge it has been a long time since college.
>>>QUESTION below<<<
Magnets repel (each other).
If repelling 'each other' through a plane (ex. piece of glass) and water is allowed to flow over the plane.
WHAT will happen to the water when approaches magnets that are repelling? likewise what will happen to repelling magnets?

I would love thought/answer.
Thanks
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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Welcome Lorp!

Just for clarity, when you say "magnets repel", do you mean two magnets that repel each other, or a set of magnets that repel water?
 
claification:

magnets repelling each other.
 
As long as the water is clean, they should have almost no effect at all on one another. In the town where I grew up, the water that came out of the tap had a lot of iron in it, and that would disrupt the magnetic field between two magnets, but ordinary water shouldn't effect it at all.
 
Will the water flow between the magnets?
 
yes.
 
If I recall correctly, water is very weakly repelled by magnets, so with sufficiently powerfull magnets, you're likely to see some effects of the water. (Possibly including no water flowing between the magnets.)

There is a famous demonstration where a frog is floated above a powerfull electromagnet:

http://www.hfml.sci.kun.nl/froglev.html
 
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Flying Frogs. Thanks!
 
And there's also the phenominon of magnetohydrodynamic drive, but I believe that in order for this to work the water has to be polarised first before passing through the magnetic field.
 
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  • #10
All normal matter (electrons, protons, and neutrons) interacts with a magnetic field. This is how an MRI works. There is a very intense magnetic field (~10 T) to polarize the protons. Then, there is a pulsed gradient (orders of magnitude less) that disturbs the polarization. Protons in particular configurations respond to this step excitation are different frequencies. Hydrogen, if I remember correctly, since it has only one proton, has a strong appearance, so regions with more water show up more strongly.
 

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