Post created by: Sharon
In 2021, engineers in China are planning on launching a new train that utilizes the science of magnetic levitation and electromagnets to move. This new train is expected to reach speeds of up to 370 miles per hour compared to the current fastest maglev train that reaches speeds of 217 miles per hour. Advocates for this project claim that the train will get people to destinations faster than air travel in some circumstances. The train has little friction because it levitates above the track and rarely comes into contact with it; this means less wear and tear on the track and train, less noise and vibration, and the potential for high speeds. Its design is fairly simple, meaning it has less parts to break and is therefore more reliable. It also doesn't rely on fossil fuels, it only uses the power of magnets. But what's even more amazing than its benefits is the physics behind its operation and its potential application in other areas of life.
As I mentioned before, maglev trains are powered by the properties of electromagnets. One principle of magnets is that they have poles, a positive pole and a negative pole. Magnets with opposite poles attract each other and magnets with like poles repel each other. Like simple magnets, electromagnets attract metal objects, but the magnetic pull is temporary because the electromagnet's magnetic field can be "turned off" by disconnecting it from its battery.
A maglev rail system has three components:
1. some large electrical power source
2. metal coils lining a guideway or track
3. large guidance magnets attached to the underside of the train
First, the guideway magnets repel the magnets on the bottom of the train which causes the train to levitate about 0.39-3.93 inches above the guideway. Then, power is supplied to the coils in the guideway walls to create a system of magnetic fields (a giant electromagnet) that alternate to change their polarity so that the coils in front of the train have an opposite polarity than the magnets under the train in order to pull the train forward, and the coils behind the train have the same polarity as the magnets under the train so that it pushes the train forward. The polarity of the coils has to keep switching as the train moves in order to create this push-pull effect all the way down the track as the train moves along.
To apply this same physics to another aspect of life, I think that electromagnets can be used to levitate and propel humans. My concept is to have a giant electromagnet plate so that it has a magnetic field above its surface and a person would wear boots that have magnets on the bottom. The electromagnet would produce a magnetic field that has the same polarity as the magnets on the boots so that they would repel each other causing the person wearing the boots to levitate above the surface of the plate. I think humans could use their own strength to kind of skate while levitating to move around, but a track could also be made for transporting individuals. It would use the same concept of alternating polarities in coils on the sides of the track that attract and repel the magnets on the magnet boots. This could be used for fun or on sidewalks to make foot traffic move faster.
I found the information for this post from these websites:
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