Does Temperature Affect the Strength of a Magnet on a Magnetic Levitating Train?

Overview

Objectives/Goals My goal is to determine whether or not temperature affects the strength of a magnet on a magnetic levitating train. I believe that the magnets that have been cooled will be the strongest as demonstrated by its ability to levitate the most weight. Methods/Materials First I built two magnetic levitating trains and one magnetic track. The trains were built out of balsa wood and magnetic strips. I then built a container to hold the train and the track. One side consisted of a Plexiglass wall so that observations could be made of the train. I heated one train in the oven at 200 degrees F for an hour, cooled one train in the freezer for an hour, and did nothing to the control train. Every train levitated above the magnetic track due to repulsive forces. I tested each one by putting Legos on them until both sides of the train were touching the track magnets below them, and no longer levitating. I then counted the number of Legos for each train observed. Results The magnetic levitating train that was cooled held the most Legos on average and therefore the cooled magnets were indeed the strongest. Conclusions/Discussion My conclusion is that magnets that have been cooled will in fact be stronger than magnets that have not been cooled. The Japanese super-cool the magnets on their magnetic levitating trains for this very reason. By super-cooling their magnets, resistance to conduction of electrical currents are decreased, resulting in more powerful magnets. This appeared to be true in my experiment as well.

Competition history

• CSEF 2008 Physics & Astronomy · Entry J1611

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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