Magnetic braking of magnets sliding along a sloped aluminum surface

[RunningBare]

My personal opinion without having tested the theory, no, because the field created by these magnets under test swamps that of the earths magnetic fields, and of course the weight of said magnets would be much greater than the influence of the earths magnetic field.

In this case, I think the purpose of the experiment would be to see whether the earth's magnetic poles influence the magnet's behavior. If he N pole flips in the northern hemisphere, does the S pole do it in the southern hemisphere?

[AbbaRue]

@Lumen0
The last magnet you used turning toward the south side is very interesting.
It clearly shows the phenomenon at work.
Every time I look at it, it reminds me of particles in a cloud chamber.
The way some particles turn towards one magnets pole and away from the other.
This is how they distinguish protons from electrons.

@Lumen0
Just make sure it still does the same thing when the aluminum plate is facing
180 deg. from it's present position.
Just to make sure the earths north pole isn't pulling the magnet that way.
You didn't tell us which way was north on your video. 
Personally I don't believe it will matter which way the plate faces, but some
others here may have that thought, and this is the way to rule it out.

[Magluvin]

Maybe this effect has something to do with showing flux direction flow. I cant think of a better guess.


There may be a difference in how the pole fields bend/flex while being dragged through the aluminum, due to flux direction flow.
If it is so, this would put a better perspective on how we look at fields and maybe see a way to take some advantage of this feature.
Magluvin

[AbbaRue]

I believe this phenomenon can be used to get past the sticky spot in a magnetic motor. 
The same repelling force that causes the magnet to flip would neutralize the
last magnets pull.
And this force appears to be stronger, the faster the magnet moves.
So the faster a magnetic motor spins the better it will work.

We just need to find a configuration that utilizes it properly.

I also wonder if the metal used makes a difference in which pole down flips.
Does it have something to do with electrode potential?
Aluminum is -1.66  Copper is  +0.159 Lead is +1.69 Silver is +1.98
The best test would be between Aluminum and Silver,
but Aluminum vs Copper would work too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_standard_electrode_potentials

[RunningBare]

If I may point you to OC's idea that led to the whipmag, this is also a theory based on flipping the magnets at the correct moment to overcome the sticky spot, we got some odd results from replication but no free runner, the interesting part was certainly the stator and rotor magnets spinning in opposite directions.

I believe this phenomenon can be used to get past the sticky spot in a magnetic motor. 
The same repelling force that causes the magnet to flip would neutralize the
last magnets pull.
And this force appears to be stronger, the faster the magnet moves.
So the faster a magnetic motor spins the better it will work.

We just need to find a configuration that utilizes it properly.