Ib extended essay about magnetic repulsion (maglev trains)

[urmykryptonite]

I have been trying to come up with a good question for my Ib extended essay which is a 4000 words essay about any physics topic of my choice. However, with this topic I need to come up with an experiment to further investigate this topic and write up an analysis and conclusion. I am really interested in the topic magnetic force and relating to the concept of magnetic levitation trains. However, some of the topics I came up with were too easy and there is no depth to write about it later in the lab work. I was wondering if anyone can help me to come up with an experiment with a more complex relationship between variables for magnetic force? Thank you very much!

 

[OmCheeto]

I have been trying to come up with a good question for my Ib extended essay which is a 4000 words essay about any physics topic of my choice. However, with this topic I need to come up with an experiment to further investigate this topic and write up an analysis and conclusion. I am really interested in the topic magnetic force and relating to the concept of magnetic levitation trains. However, some of the topics I came up with were too easy and there is no depth to write about it later in the lab work. I was wondering if anyone can help me to come up with an experiment with a more complex relationship between variables for magnetic force? Thank you very much!

I've never seen anyone post an equation for the force between two dissimilar magnets.
Something like that?

I'm not saying that no one has done this, but only that I've never been able to find it.

And after a quick google, it seems I'm not alone:

Magnets Are Weird

The Dissimilar Magnet Calculator (not available)
What about magnets with two different sizes or shapes? How much will they attract or repel? How do you figure that out?

We always figured this would be a cool project: build a magnet calculator that would predict the force between two magnets that are not the same size. Every time we try attacking the problem, though, we find strange exceptions that make the task difficult. Magnets do weird things that aren’t easily described in a single pull force number. Magnets are weird.

How to calculate the force between two different magnets?
Asked: 2 Years Ago
Viewed: 471 Times

Still no answer.

 

[urmykryptonite]

Thank you! that sounds like a interesting topic, I will confirm this with my advisor!

 

[OmCheeto]

Thank you! that sounds like a interesting topic, I will confirm this with my advisor!

You'll either get an F, or become world famous.

Just kidding about the "F".

I've done lots of experiments with magnets.
Sometimes I learn something useful, and sometimes, weird questions pop up.

For instance, how do you weigh a magnet?
Magnets not only feel the pull of gravity, but are also pulled in the direction of the magnetic flux field of the Earth.
And the magnetic field of the Earth, as I discovered, didn't point in the direction I thought it did.

Anyways, good luck!