How can someone levitate an object? Magicians do it all the time. Can physicists do it as well? The easiest technique is to attach a string to the object and secure the string to the ceiling. The weight of the object is balanced by the tension in the string. If the suspended object is a magnet, then a second magnet can keep it in place. A third technique is to shoot pellets at the object so that the force of the pellets balances the weight of the object. In this chapter, the third technique is featured and the object to suspend is a rectangular box oriented so that its bottom is horizontal.

Details

Type Book ChapterPub Date 1/1/2006Stock # PB198X_17

NSTA Press produces classroom-ready activities, hands-on approaches to inquiry, relevant professional development, the latest scientific education news and research, assessment and standards-based instruction.

Learn More