Thread: Superconductor levitation

When a superconductor and magnet is either "levitating" or "suspending"

The distance between the two, I assume, is the area where each polarity equalizes, give or take some distance due to gravity. Is this right?

The stronger the magnet, the less effect gravity will have, but will this otherwise change the distance between the magnet and the superconductor?

What do you mean by polarity equalizes?

The superconductor generates a magnetic field which is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the incident magnetic field.

(There are details here associated with Type 1 and Type 2 superconductors which should be taken into account if the question is to go much further.)

Just as two magnets with north poles facing each-other will experience a force which 'repels' them, so too will the magnet/superconductor pair.

When this force is sufficient to overcome the gravitational force which is experienced by whichever (magnet or superconductor) body is on 'top', the movement stops and forces cancel to 0.

Excuse my lack of technical vocabulary.

What I mentt by "equalize" is where the forces of repulsion and attraction become equal. When subject to gravity, the objects will not be exactly where the magnetic fields are equalized.

I was wondering if the magnets where larger and more powerful, would gravity have less of an effect, but now I realize that gravity would have more of an effect, and so smaller superconductors are more efficient, no?

what do you mean by efficient? efficient at what?

i don't know exactly

that makes things difficult.