I want to temporarily NEUTRALIZE (not demagnetize) a magnetic field from a permanent magnet.
Basically I want the magnet to work normally until I want to turn it "off" or "neutralize" it. No electricity can be used to power it on, so that means no electromagnets. Electricity may be used to power it off though.
LoL I am not making a perpetual motion machine. I know enough about physics to know that’s impossibe…well for now anyways heh.
I asked this in the physics section but didn’t get a answer, was hoping someone in this section would know. Thanks.
What is the science behind this, static electricity or more?
I was cleaning my glass table when a tiny feather floated up and stuck to the underside of the glass table (I assume static electricity). I placed my finger on the topside of the glass table the the feather moved away from my finger while still stuck to the underside of the table. I did this several times pushing the feather away using my finger, as if the my finger and the feather were magnets. If never seeen this before. What is the science behind this? Thanks.
Since electricity and magnetism are intimately linked, I’m wondering how it is exactly that a magnet which is not receiving any outside electrical current generates a magnetic field. Does the magnet itself generate its own electric current? Or, am I missing something? Is there something more basic.
I mean, I know that running electricity through a coil of wires generates a magnetic field. So, when you’re not actively running electricity through or around a magnet, why is a field still generated? Wouldn’t the field collapse once the electric field that created the magnet is removed? Or is there still a circulating electric current inside the magnet. If so, how can that be?
If I had to theorize, I’d say the magnetic field is coupled with an electric field, and a magnet’s atoms are aligned in such a way as to let electrons flow through the magnet in a natural circuit, thus generating the corresponding electric field? Am I off base?
Physics gurus only? No one-liners. List sources…? 
I’m wondering if the externally generated electrical current pulls the atoms into an alignment such that electrons are allowed to flow in a circuit within the magnet, thus generating the external magnetic field, even after the external current is taken away, the atoms are still in alignment such that the electrons of the magnet can still flow?
tbolling2
Okay, I’ve heard similar explanations before, haven’t entirely gotten them.
So, we’re saying that the electrons orbiting the nucleus give off or create a magnetic field, and enough of them together in the same basic alignment give off a bigger magnetic field?
So, one could say perhaps that the magnetic field is proportional to the difference of the total orbits in the magnet, IE, if more are orbiting one way than the other, you’ll get a field, wherreas if equal amounts are orbiting oppositely you’ll get no effect because they cancel each other out?
So could we say something to the effect that the magnetic waves or lines of force are either reinforcing or interfering with each other, much like in interferometry? IE, if you get waves moving in tandem they tend to reinforce one another and make themselves larger (or combine to make one larger wave), whereas if you get waves that are opposite they neutralize each other?
This begins to make more sense. Thank you.
However, if the electron itself is generating a magnetic field on its scale, where does its field come from? IE, is an electron magnetic? If so where does its field come from? Is an electron the smallest indivisable unit that can be used to generate a magnetic field or is there something more basic that creates the field of the electron? Or is it simply the electron’s motion around the nucleus that generates the field? If so, how? Does the electron somehow drag space to create a wave in it? Or what? Or are there charges circulating within the electron that cause it to have its own magnetic field? IS the field scaleable to smaller dimensions, or is the electron the smallest thing that generates a field? So many questions so little time.
God, I love that statement! It speaks volumes to our current understanding of physics…
"A lot of things are dictated by uncertainty." In the realm of physics education, ain’t that the truth…?
I know satellites use magnetic fields of planets to aid in their trajectories and propulsion, but could this same theory be used for more common purposes such as aircraft and cars?
For instance, say if you had a positviely charged magnet, and your vehicle is negatively charged. Could you place the positive magnet in front of the vehicle and it follow the magnet i.e. holding a carrot in front of a donkey?
How about if you had a positively charge magnet and the vehicle is positively charged and you put the magnet behind the vehicle. Would the alike forces cause the car to keep moving?
Could these magnetic forces be used to spin turbines instead of the steam created by boiling water with dangerous nuclear fuel rods? I guess in order to power the magnets you’d have to use electricity which in turn would be counter productive, but is there another way
By no means am I a physics expert or pretend to be, but can some of you that are experts explain why this is or isn’t possible
Yea but is there away to harness or amplify the energy of the magnetic attraction to create propulsion is what I’m getting at?
I see what you mean. Somehow something would have to push the magnets to keep the car moving. Back to the drawing board…
Scratch the car idea. How about the turbine? Same principal applies?
one of my physics hw questions. i mean, how does steam make electricity, and then when you have electricity, you have a magnetic field and stuff which will attract/repel magnets. so i guess my real question is how can you convert steam into electricity???
I need something fun and hands on that has something to do with physics, maybe even something that isn’t the old static electricity or magnets demonstration. Someone mentioned to me paper airplanes but i was thinking of maybe bubbles or something. Any help would be very much appreciated.
Hey, physics people! I know that a magnet spinning inside a coil of wire will generate electricity, but is there a simple way to use electricity to make a magent spin? Not by buying an electric motor, although the solution would be a simple motor of sorts, I suppose. Thanks!
I’m trying to plan some exciting elementary science projects involving technology or physics.