Electricity and Magnetism > Magnetic Materials >
Diamagnetism
DCS# 5G30.50
DIAMAGNETIC
GRAPHITE
APPARATUS
frame with graphite blocks
202-20-A
neodymium magnet
cube
202-20-A
camera
202-09-D
DESCRIPTION
A small cube magnet hovers below a
second magnet.
The upper magnet is positioned so
that
the magnetic force on the cube balances its weight. Without the
graphite
blocks, the cube would be in unstable equilibrium - disturbing it would
send it up into the magnet or down because of gravity. The two
graphite
blocks are diamagnetic and exert repulsive forces that allow the magnet
to hover stably.
