Magnetic braking of magnets sliding along a sloped aluminum surface

[TinselKoala]

Kinda like the magnet is hanging ten, isn't it.

The creation of the eddies must be leading with one pole and lagging with the other (go ahead - light the torches and grab the pitch forks).

Now ask yourself does a Foucault current create another Foucault current around it and another around it? Each the reverse of the previous? Since each field is supposed to be the exact amount of force as the source -of the source - of the source - etc. ??
Since the diameter is constantly increasing then the amplitude for each new 'wave' is lower. Much like dropping a pea in a bowl of water.
After all the 'laws' say a current is created that creates a like field when there is relative movement - or does it not?

And what polarity is the magnet being opposed by since N/S are horizontal and the magnet is traveling in a direction 90 deg. to the polar axis?

Then think about a magnet sliding with poles the same axis as the slide path. The third vector direction is determined by the polarity of the leading pole. Now do you wonder why the curve of the path is reversed between S leading or N leading? Simple Right Hand Rule. Right?

This is all fun - being all 'new' and everything. At least watching folks claim each 'new' discovery is fun 

Y'all should be able to come up with some interesting 'scientific method' experiments for such things.

I can't say whether it's "new" or not, but I was rather amazed that none of the folks I showed it to had seen it before. JK especially. They all thought I was just showing eddy current braking (yawn, what's wrong with TK today, he seems off...) then when I flipped the magnet over it was like 4 bird dogs and a bucket of chicken. They really perked up and started paying attention.


Edit to add, and no matter how much I re read your nice little summary of eddy current effects and the rhrule, I don't see the explanation of why one pole lifts off so much more enthusiastically than the other.

[lostcauses10x]

Ahh questions. are these nickle coated magnets?? If so there will. also be induced currents in that part of the magnet also.  Any one got some plastic coated non niclkle
plated ones??

[TinselKoala]

Ahh questions. are these nickle coated magnets?? If so there will. also be induced currents in that part of the magnet also.  Any one got some plastic coated non niclkle
plated ones??

I tried it with my big rectangular ceramics. They do it too, but they are kind of hard to slide stably. But they do it.

And the leading edge thing--I only observed it with a very thin disk --think US Dime --on a big thick Al plate. I can't seem to get it to do it (lift up on the leading edge first) with any of these more cylindrical or square magnets.

[TinselKoala]

I mean I get everything BEP says except that part about leading and lagging. I'da thot that at these velocities (that is, non-relativistic ones) the lag would not be noticeable and would have no macroscopic effect.
It almost makes me believe in different pole strengths.

[lostcauses10x]

I mean I get everything BEP says except that part about leading and lagging. I'da thot that at these velocities (that is, non-relativistic ones) the lag would not be noticeable and would have no macroscopic effect.
It almost makes me believe in different pole strengths.

It could be such as one of the poles out is going in on the edges.  Makes for some reasonable explanation. That is if the in and out were real.  Some thing like a cone effect on the intake and out go.

I will have to agree with the pole variation. Think electron spin and direction of spin in relation to domain and current.