Collision between magnets

[kmacdo12]

So recently we covered the properties of momentum and linear collisions between rigid bodies. Now either they bounce off one another or move in the same direction but create no rotational motion. Im interested in finding a way to explain how a collision could create rotational motion, specifically between two round magnets traveling past each other. I tried doing this with some magnets i have at home throwing that at each-other. This creates a fast spinning motion where they are joined together. Can i use the conservation of momentum to help me figure this out?

[Mordred]

How familiar are you with Maxwell equations in particular the directional components of the magnetic field ? Also are you familiar with the right hand rule ?

You should also be able to predict which way the spinning occurs. However we will need some guidance on your math familiarity with regards to magnetism. Google Lorentz force for starters.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Mordred

[swansont]

On 4/6/2020 at 10:10 PM, kmacdo12 said:

So recently we covered the properties of momentum and linear collisions between rigid bodies. Now either they bounce off one another or move in the same direction but create no rotational motion. Im interested in finding a way to explain how a collision could create rotational motion, specifically between two round magnets traveling past each other. I tried doing this with some magnets i have at home throwing that at each-other. This creates a fast spinning motion where they are joined together. Can i use the conservation of momentum to help me figure this out?

You need to learn about torque and angular momentum, which are the rotational analogues of force and linear momentum. You tend to get rotation when you have extended bodies interacting off-axis (i.e. straight-on collisions don't have rotations, but hitting away from the center-of-mass for something that's not spherical will, or the situation you describe, where you have a force at a distance, and you aren't constrained to one dimension)