Levitating magnets

The toy consists of three flat disc-like magnets with a whole in the centre. The magnets are threaded on a plastic pole. The magnets are very unsociable - whenever you try to push them close to each other they oppose and they even push back your hand. But if you turn them they will stick to each other and it will be very difficult to separate them.

Notice that the middle magnet levitates closer to the bottom one, and not somewhere in the middle. This is because it is pushed down by the weight of the top magnet. The middle magnet supports the top one, but is at the same time pushed down. Each action has its reaction, as was stated by Newton in his Third Law.

The magnets have poles in their bottom and top parts. They are made from a kind of a magnetic 'sausage' by cutting it into slices. If not for the plastic pole they would fly each in his own direction.