"Turn Off" a PM... Strategies

[dieter]

Update: Asymmetriy on certain field angles persists, Graphite has then a tendency to travel in a certain direction, regardless of magnet position.


Also, diamagnetic reaction of powder is very jumpy, nonlinear and in a strange way time-delayed. This may have something to do with the phenomen described before. It may even be the cause.


Forces involved are tiny, so probably not such a big deal.

[nul-points]

...Graphite has then a tendency to travel in a certain direction, regardless of magnet position...

hi dieter

interesting observations!

i recently learnt something about graphite, too

i was experimenting with a suspended magnet (making a 'driven' pendulum), and was adjusting the coil position below the magnet using an ordinary graphite pencil...

the magnet turned towards the pencil and was obviously attracted by the graphite in the pencil

i tried a few pencils and they all produced the same behaviour

however, in my case the graphite appears to be magnetic, rather than diamagnetic

good luck with your researches!

best wishes
np


http://docsfreelunch.blogspot.co.uk

[dieter]

The pencil graphit may contain iron impurities. But, I have to say, I also experienced the same: a bit of graphit powder, on the surface of some water, was attracted to the a magnet clearly! Weird: it was attracted when the pm was closer than a certain distance , like about 1/2 inch, but was slightly repelled when furter away.


I am working with graphite from a stirring rod for precious metal melting pods, from ebay, that I thought was pretty pure graphite, tho I ain't got any % Numbers.


I made s few more experiments. I failed to get that powder on water rotating using the said magnet angle, even with soap to neutralize bonding tension of the water surface to the beaker.


I also tried a pendulum made of a graphite cylinder, diameter about 1/2", height maybe 2/3". It shows interesting features, when exposed to the magnet and finds its equilibrium rest much later that without the magnet, at least it seems so. But no rotation. I may try a surface that has an angular asymmetry in diamagnetic "response", like in a vertical wind wheel, although that doesn't work with ferromagnetism. But Diamagnetism does really have some special features.


I do however have to say, forces are tiny, and the anomaly that made me "BUZZ!!!" before was performed with my hands, which is no good test condition, and when working with powder, the diamagnetism might be interferred by static electricity fx significantly.


So for now, I leave this graphit phenomen as yet to be fully investigated, but very tiny in energy density.