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the Physics of Levitation


peace all

i am running into a design problem and need some help from physicists electric-engineers and others in the know ? the problem ? what i require is to levitate a small sphere such that it is relatively stable ? i think i can do this by creating an electromagnetic field ?

how do i calculate the force generated by an electromagnetic field? Is it true then for levitation that the force generated by the electromagnetic field then must counter the gravity acting on the sphere?

which is the best material to use for the sphere ? will there be a field generated in the sphere by electromagnetic induction?? i don?t even know if that is the right term ? but how will this effect the levitation ? is this physically possible ? if so how ? if i am just dreaming ? someone wake me up!!

thanks
peace out
 

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Login to find out (August 23, 2005 at 12:58pm)
I'm an electrical engineer, but I barely passed my electromagnetic waves classes... I totally hated that class!!! ok... I'm going to go back and suppress that memory aka nightmare...! Sorry can't help ya! *:
 
Login to find out (August 22, 2005 at 2:43pm)
Thanks for inputing Styx & Shazia glad that we all agree on the logic - i have asked the physics village and a few others - lets see what they have to say - reason i am asking about this Styx is cause i want to make an installation - peace out
 
Login to find out (August 18, 2005 at 6:23pm)
i think you're right that you suppose you could levitate a sphere through creating an e-m field. and it will have to overcome gravity. seems likely that a force will be generated in the sphere if it is metal or some other good conductor.

but then again i am terrible at physics. gave me nightmares *:
 
Login to find out (August 18, 2005 at 9:03am)
Hmmm, Qalandarlal I wish I could help you out, but I am not quite qualified to offer an informed opinion.

However, "it true then for levitation that the force generated by the electromagnetic field then must counter the gravity acting on the sphere?" seems to make logical sense to me.

Btw, I'm curious... why exactly are you trying to levitate this sphere?
 
Login to find out (August 17, 2005 at 9:00pm)
nerd