Levitron
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| video: Levitron, http://www.levitron.com |
The fascinating toy is made up by a magnetic spinning-top and a platform with some magnets inside. The campus of the magnets is regulated in a way to make the spinning-top rotate about 3 cm high over the platform.
The equilibrium of the spinning-top is guaranteed thanks to the gyroscopic effect, i.e. to its rotation (conservation of the moment of motion quantity). The magnetic field generated from the basement is a little less strength in the centre - the spinning top ends up right there, like a little ball in the hole. The levitation of the spinning-top lasts quite long thanks to the air's friction which is negligible.
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The Levitron behaves like a real flying disc. Unfortunately the Earth's magnetic field is too light for flying discs, but a television screen or a bank-card can be easily be demagnetized by the magnetic field of the Levitron's base.
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