Frog Levitation

[Scootie]

There was a fairly popular experiment done in 2005 by Nijmegen High Field Magnet Laboratory where they were able to get a frog to float freely inside a magnetic field (a ridiculously STRONG magnetic field). You can read about it here: http://www.hfml.ru.nl/froglev.html

I've seen it on TV so i assume you guys know what I'm talking about anyhow.

 

We are currently studying magnetism in my college Physics class and my professor has issued a challenge: An A for the whole semester if anyone can magnetically levitate a frog. I'm sure its near imposable given the resources I have available (and the fact that he's not going to hand out an easy A for an Advanced Physics class) but I'd like to find out what it would take to make this happen anyhow.

 

The famous experiment used something called a Bitter solenoid to create the magnetic field. I'm having trouble finding any information on a Bitter Solenoid

 

What do you guys think??

 

I'm sure this will take tremendous amounts of current, which is why you cant use a simple wire coil solenoid because the heat would melt the coating on the wire and short out the coil..... But what if the solenoid was submerged in liquid nitrogen? (still air in the core for froggie flight), would that be sufficient enough to keep the coil cool while enough current to generate 16 tesla was passed threw it??

 

ok ... now I'm just brainstorming out loud, lol sry.

 

im quite determined and (with out boasting) quite sharp. do you think this is possible??

[Mr Skeptic]

Did he specifically say that you had to levitate only the frog? Things would be much simpler if you could levitate the frog on a magnet

 

We are currently studying magnetism in my college Physics class and my professor has issued a challenge: An A for the whole semester if anyone can magnetically levitate a frog. I'm sure its near imposable given the resources I have available (and the fact that he's not going to hand out an easy A for an Advanced Physics class) but I'd like to find out what it would take to make this happen anyhow.

 

First of all, can you get about 6 MegaWatts of power? That's what the other group used, and you may need more than that if your magnet is less efficient.

 

The famous experiment used something called a Bitter solenoid to create the magnetic field. I'm having trouble finding any information on a Bitter Solenoid

 

Well, one is in the link you gave, http://www.hfml.ru.nl/20t-magnet.html

And there's always Wikipedia. http://www.hfml.ru.nl/20t-magnet.html

Quite simply, they use helices of copper with holes through them instead of wires and liquid cooled, because the forces involved would snap wire coils, and lots of heat is generated. Also because the fields are too strong for a superconducting magnet.

 

I'm sure this will take tremendous amounts of current, which is why you cant use a simple wire coil solenoid because the heat would melt the coating on the wire and short out the coil..... But what if the solenoid was submerged in liquid nitrogen? (still air in the core for froggie flight), would that be sufficient enough to keep the coil cool while enough current to generate 16 tesla was passed threw it??

 

The other team used water at 10 C. Your liquid nitrogen could make quite a mess due to boiling and potentially making things brittle.

 

im quite determined and (with out boasting) quite sharp. do you think this is possible??

 

Without boasting, huh? Of course it is possible, it's been done already.

[Scootie]

Did he specifically say that you had to levitate only the frog? Things would be much simpler if you could levitate the frog on a magnet

 

Unfortunately I don't think he will accept that...

 

The magnet in the diagrams definitely looks like something I could build. What worries me is the 6+MW of power needed. Where would i get that much power??? (I'm having a "1.21 GIGAWATTS?!?!" moment) other than that this looks like a fairly easy setup.

 

Thanks Skeptic.

[John Cuthber]

I'm sure that many people would agree that experiments on live animals just for the sake of a high school experiment are ethically questionable. That gets you off needing to use a real frog.

Then something like this might just be possible.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Handmade-Foam-Fridge-Magnet-Frog-Design_W0QQitemZ250119069500QQihZ015QQcategoryZ20644QQcmdZViewItem

Though it would still be a challenge.

[insane_alien]

6MW is quite easy to produce but the source will generally only last a few microseconds. if that.

[factionera X]

I'm sure that many people would agree that experiments on live animals just for the sake of a high school experiment are ethically questionable. That gets you off needing to use a real frog.

Then something like this might just be possible.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Handmade-Foam-Fridge-Magnet-Frog-Design_W0QQitemZ250119069500QQihZ015QQcategoryZ20644QQcmdZViewItem

Though it would still be a challenge.

 

haha tht is just sad.

 

I agree on experimenting with live animals even for any cause.... How many people are vegetarians in the world or.. how many people just kill live animals because they are scared of it or just for the fun of it. Looking at this . the ratio of killing live animals for expirments to kill animals for other cause will be what? 1:9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

99999999999999999999999?

lol

[Mr Skeptic]

How about an Explosively pumped flux compression generator?

 

Generates millions of amperes and terawatts of power by using high explosives to compress the magnetic flux inside a solenoid. Used in EMP weapons and to accelerate objects to extremely high velocities. If you used a non-conductive non-magnetic shield, you may be able to magnetically launch a frog. Or it might create electric currents through the frog approximately equal to getting struck by lightning

[Scootie]

6MW is quite easy to produce but the source will generally only last a few microseconds. if that.

 

what kind of source do you have in mind here? I considered discharging a bank of large capacitors across my magnet for the same (short term) power serge like your talking about.

 

as far as the Explosively pumped flux compression generator... that thing scares me. It seems unpredictable and produces much more power than I'd know what to do with. Thats all granted that I could get my hands on one of these, if they're even legal....