Can anyone confirm the Lafonte balance experiment.

[TinselKoala]

It's hard for me to imagine a cruder way of doing this "experiment".
Please use a fulcrum that is actually pointed, instead of the top of a 2x4, so we can tell exactly what the lever arms are. Please mark the position of the weight accurately, on top of the 2x4 instead of on the side. Please use, e.g. a spring scale, to quantify the forces involved. Please insure that both magnets are tight against the horizontal blocks for all tests. Please make sure the magnets/blocks are always exactly the same distance from the fulcrum.
And so forth.

[Butch LaFonte]

It's hard for me to imagine a cruder way of doing this "experiment".
Please use a fulcrum that is actually pointed, instead of the top of a 2x4, so we can tell exactly what the lever arms are. Please mark the position of the weight accurately, on top of the 2x4 instead of on the side. Please use, e.g. a spring scale, to quantify the forces involved. Please insure that both magnets are tight against the horizontal blocks for all tests. Please make sure the magnets/blocks are always exactly the same distance from the fulcrum.
And so forth.

You do the experiment.

[TinselKoala]

You do the experiment.

What experiment?

(What is the hypothesis under test, how are the constructs defined and quantified, what data is to be taken and how, what statistical tests will be performed, what comparisons are to be made, and do I have to use 2x4s?)

[broli]

What experiment?

(What is the hypothesis under test, how are the constructs defined and quantified, what data is to be taken and how, what statistical tests will be performed, what comparisons are to be made, and do I have to use 2x4s?)

This is part of a 4 stroke mechanism. After the magnets have done significant work by moving to each other the bars close and the magnets move away from each other effortlessly. At this point the bars will have to open again, this experiment shows that the bars will open with a lesser attraction force than when the magnets are together. If you want to go all out you can include the cancellation magnets to show how the bars will open spontaneously (when the primary magnets are away from each other) if the canc. magnets where mounted in such a way to cancel the attracting force of when the magnets were together.

I'm sure this all sounds confusing but it makes sense if you understand it.

[TinselKoala]

This is part of a 4 stroke mechanism. After the magnets have done significant work by moving to each other the bars close and the magnets move away from each other effortlessly. At this point the bars will have to open again, this experiment shows that the bars will open with a lesser attraction force than when the magnets are together. If you want to go all out you can include the cancellation magnets to show how the bars will open spontaneously (when the primary magnets are away from each other) if the canc. magnets where mounted in such a way to cancel the attracting force of when the magnets were together.

I'm sure this all sounds confusing but it makes sense if you understand it.

"I'm sure this all sounds confusing but it makes sense if you understand it."
Uh-huh, differential equations are like that too.

So, in terms I might understand, the hypothesis under test is that, if the magnets are close together, it will take more force to separate the assembly than if the magnets are far apart. Force is defined in the usual way and is to be measured by looking at the lever arm that a known weight must be at to exert enough force to separate the bars. The data will be in some accurate length measure of the lever (moment) arms involved, as in the video shown, and let's say, means of 5 trials in each condition will be compared, the conditions being (1) magnets close and in contact with both blocks, and  (2) magnets far and in contact with both blocks.

And we are neglecting the forces involved in setting up the situation and also neglecting friction.

But, do I have to use 2x4s?

Now, possible results from this experiment (for now it is an experiment) are three: 1) The magnets close together could make it harder to separate the blocks. 2) The magnets close together could make it easier to separate the blocks. 3) There could be no difference in the force required to separate the blocks. And since we are defining force by a distance measure, we need to decide how far apart the means of the distance measurements we are making need to be to call them "different", and we need to know the magnitude of our error(s) in measurement, etc. so we can know if our "difference" is likely to be real or the result of experimental error.

But--even if the experiment fails to reject the hypothesis, and it turns out to be correct that in this configuration it's easier to separate the bars when the magnets are apart, it still won't mean you can make a permanent magnet motor out of it.