Physics project help -- magnetism

In summary: You could make a ring magnet with S on the inside and N on the outside.However making the long magnetised pole for it to slide down is more of a problem. The further you get from the ends of the more it looks like a monopole from the outside.
  • #1
radaballer
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Is it possible to make a magnet that slides down a pole with no friction? The magnet would be a cylinder, the exterior would be N and the interior S. It would slide down the S end of a magnetized pole. That way the the pole would push equally on the sides of the interior of the cylinder. This is for my middle school science fair.
 
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  • #2
You cannot have a magnet whose exterior is a north pole. That would be a magnetic monopole and would be a Nobel prize project, not a middle school science fair project.

You could have bar magnets that slide through a copper tube, or something similar.
 
  • #3
DaleSpam said:
You cannot have a magnet whose exterior is a north pole. That would be a magnetic monopole and would be a Nobel prize project, not a middle school science fair project.

You could have bar magnets that slide through a copper tube, or something similar.

Can you expand on that? How would that work?
 
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  • #4
radaballer said:
Is it possible to make a magnet that slides down a pole with no friction? The magnet would be a cylinder, the exterior would be N and the interior S. It would slide down the S end of a magnetized pole. That way the the pole would push equally on the sides of the interior of the cylinder. This is for my middle school science fair.

DaleSpam said:
You cannot have a magnet whose exterior is a north pole. That would be a magnetic monopole and would be a Nobel prize project, not a middle school science fair project.

You could have bar magnets that slide through a copper tube, or something similar.

It seems like you could bolt together a number of thin rectangular magnets in the shape of a cylinder, with their S ends pressed together at the inner radius, and the outer N ends spaced a bit apart.

But even with that, you couldn't have a "pole" that was the S end of a magnet, so the overall idea still doesn't seem to work.

You could look into how maglev trains work -- that will give you an idea of a geometry that uses magnetic levitation to minimize friction...
 
  • #5
Just buy some cylindrical bar magnets and then buy a copper tube that is slightly wider. You can use that kind of rig to demonstrate eddy currents.
 
  • #6
Photo on 9-19-14 at 5.00 PM.jpg
Could this type go magnet be made?
 
  • #7
DaleSpam said:
Just buy some cylindrical bar magnets and then buy a copper tube that is slightly wider. You can use that kind of rig to demonstrate eddy currents.
Above
 
  • #8
Ah, I completely misunderstood the geometry. I would call that shape a tube, not a cylinder. Please disregard my previous comments. I believe that you could indeed have a tube magnet with the poles as described in your OP. My apologies.
 
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  • #9
You want to look for a radially magnetized ring or tube magnet. They are apparently difficult to manufacture, so they are going to be expensive.
 
  • #10
You can make a ring magnet with S on the inside and N on the outside.

However making the long magnetised pole for it to slide down is more of a problem. The further you get from the ends of the more it looks like a monopole from the outside.
 

1. What is magnetism?

Magnetism is a fundamental force of nature that describes the attractive or repulsive interactions between objects that possess magnetic fields. These fields are created by the movement of electrons within atoms.

2. How does magnetism work?

Magnetism is caused by the alignment of the magnetic moments of individual atoms within a material. These moments can be aligned in the same direction, creating a strong magnetic field, or in opposite directions, canceling out the magnetic field.

3. What are the properties of magnets?

Magnets have several important properties, including the ability to attract or repel other magnets, the ability to align with a magnetic field, and the ability to induce an electric current in a conductor.

4. What are the different types of magnets?

There are several types of magnets, including permanent magnets, which retain their magnetic properties, and electromagnets, which are created by passing an electric current through a coil of wire. There are also temporary magnets, which only exhibit magnetism when in the presence of a magnetic field.

5. How is magnetism used in everyday life?

Magnetism has many practical applications in everyday life, including in electric motors, generators, and speakers. It is also used in compasses for navigation, credit and debit cards to store information, and MRI machines for medical imaging.

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