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Electricity and magnetism are two sides of the same coin: one does not exist without the other. The consequences of this union can be traced in natural phenomena and in many objects of our daily life. A game of attractions and repulsions.
A magnetic brake is a device capable of slowing down a moving object without using parts in contact thanks to the very nature of electric and magnetic fields. Where there are moving electric charges, a magnetic field is generated and, conversely, if there is a magnetic field near an electric conductor, current is induced inside it.
Arranging itself along the magnetic lines of force, the ferrofluid creates a beautiful self-propelled “sculpture” that reproduces the shape of the different magnetic fields.
Electric discharges are released inside the tubes through exactly the same mechanism with which lightning is produced during storms.
The rotation imparted by the movement of the pedals moves a magnet near an electric circuit in which electric current is induced due to the basic principle of electromagnetism.
With the Van der Graaff generator the electric charge can be accumulated and various amusing effects can be obtained. Explore electrostatics and the creation of lightning!
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Pipes are made of different materials - plexiglass, aluminium and copper - which do not attract magnets.
In this case, through electromagnetic induction the magnet motion produces electrons motion, called eddy currents, inside the electric conductors. This electricity creates a magnetic field in a direction opposite to that of the ring magnet which slows it down, as Lenz's law states.
Plexiglass is an electric insulator so it does not induce any electricity. The better the electrical conductor, the greater the magnetic brake action!
An eddy current brake, like a conventional friction brake, is a device used to slow or stop moving objects like high-speed trains and roller coasters. Since the brake does not work by friction, there are no brake shoe surfaces to wear out, necessitating replacement, as with convetional brakes.
Ferrofluid is a liquid composed of nanoscale particles (10 nanometers or less of diameter) of magnetite, hematite or some other compound containing iron suspended in a carrier fluid, usually an organic solvent or water.
Due to its composition, ferrofluid reacts to magnetic fields and behaves as a fluid magnet, placing itself along the lines of force and creating amazing dynamic sculptures.
Althoug its name suggests the opposite, ferrofluid do not retain magnetization in the absence of an externally applied field and thus is often classified as "superparamagnet" rather than ferromagnet.
Particles in ferrofluids are dispersed in a liquid, often using a surfactant, and thus ferrofluids are colloidal suspensions – materials with properties of more than one state of matter. In this case, the two states of matter are the solid metal and liquid it is in. This ability to change phases with the application of a magnetic field allows them to be used as seals and lubricants among others.
High electric field and low pressure of gases make electric discharges inside the tube.
When you touch it you work as a bridge with the earth and make a more powerful discharge.
The crank rotation moves an electric coil in a magnetic field, so electricity is produced.
The explanation lies in the basics of Electromagnetism: magnetic and electric fields are two manifestations of the same phenomenon and are strictly correlated.
Electricity is produced due to a phenomenon called electromagnetic induction and is described by Faraday’s law, named after the great physicist Michael Faraday who discovered it in the XIX century. The electromagnetic induction takes place when the flux of the magnetic field through a surface bounded by an electric conductor varies with time. This is why electricity goes to zero when crank stops.
The electromagnetic induction does not need any contacts between surfaces.
