Images Scientific Instruments LEV-01 Pyrolytic Graphite Levitation Kit Instructions

: September 23, 2024
: Images Scientific Instruments

Table of Contents

LEV-01 Pyrolytic Graphite Levitation Kit
Product Information
Specifications:
- Product Usage Instructions
Neodymium Magnet Safety:
Graphite Levitation:
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can children use this kit unsupervised?
Q: What precautions should I take when handling neodymium
Q: How does graphite levitation work?

LEV-01 Pyrolytic Graphite Levitation Kit

“`html

Product Information

Specifications:

Material: Neodymium magnet
Usage: Levitation demonstration kit
Safety: Not suitable for unsupervised use by children

Product Usage Instructions

Neodymium Magnet Safety:

The neodymium magnets in this kit are extremely strong and must
be handled with care to avoid personal injury and damage. Here are
some safety guidelines:

Wear eye protection when handling the magnets to prevent
injuries from shattering pieces.
Avoid allowing magnets near electronic devices, magnetic media,
or people with pacemakers.
Keep magnets away from children as they can pose a choking
hazard.
Do not burn neodymium magnets as it can create toxic
fumes.

Graphite Levitation:

This kit demonstrates levitation using diamagnetic properties of
graphite. Follow these steps for levitation:

Place the magnets with alternating north and south poles on a
thin piece of sheet steel.
Center the pyrolytic graphite material on the magnetic gradient
created by the alternating poles.
Position a small transparent dome on top to protect the
graphite from displacement.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can children use this kit unsupervised?

A: No, the materials in this kit are not intended for
unsupervised use by children due to safety concerns with neodymium
magnets.

Q: What precautions should I take when handling neodymium

magnets?

A: Wear eye protection, keep magnets away from electronic
devices and pacemakers, and avoid burning them to prevent toxic
fumes.

Q: How does graphite levitation work?

A: Graphite is diamagnetic, and by creating a strong magnetic
field gradient with alternating poles, the material can be made to
levitate above the magnets.

“`

Caution
The materials in this kit are not intended for unsupervised use by children. See additional safety instructions below.
Neodymium Magnet Safety
The neodymium magnets we sell are extremely strong, and must be handled with care to avoid personal injury and damage to the magnets. Fingers and other body parts can get severely pinched between two attracting magnets. Neodymium magnets are brittle, and can peel, crack or shatter if allowed to slam together. Eye protection should be worn when handling these magnets, because shattering magnets can launch pieces at great speeds.
The strong magnetic fields of neodymium magnets can also damage magnetic media such as floppy disks, credit cards, magnetic I.D. cards, cassette tapes, video tapes or other such devices. They can also damage televisions, VCRs, computer monitors and other CRT displays. Never place neodymium magnets near electronic appliances.
o Children should not be allowed to handle neodymium magnets as they can be dangerous. Small magnets pose a choking hazard and should never be swallowed or inserted into any part of the body.
o Never allow neodymium magnets near a person with a pacemaker or similar medical aid. The strong magnetic fields of the magnet can affect the operation of such devices.
o Neodymium magnets are brittle and prone to chipping and cracking. They do not take kindly to machining.
o Neodymium magnets will lose their magnetic properties if heated above 175° F (80° C).
o Neodymium magnets should never be burned, as burning them will create toxic fumes.
o Like any tool or toy, neodymium magnets can be fun and useful, but must always be treated with care.
2

Graphite Levitation
Magnets affect materials in one of three ways, attraction, non-attraction (neutral) and repulsion. Diamagnetism refers to an objects weak repulsion from an magnetic field. There are no poles connected with diamagnetism. The north pole of a magnet repels the material just as well as the south pole. Just like a north pole of a magnet will attract iron just as well as the south pole.
Graphite is diamagnetic. Pyrolytic graphite is 10000X more diamagnet than most common diamagnetic materials such as water. Thin slices of pyrolytic graphite are extremely light and can be made to levitate above a magnetic field.
The closest thing to a perfect diamagnetic material is a superconductor, however superconductors still require liquid nitrogen to become superconductive. Whereas pyrolytic graphite can levitate at room temperature.

1

3

Levitation is achieved by alternating poles to create a strong magnetic field gradient. Because diamagnetic materials are repelled by either pole, we can place the magnets with alternating north and south poles, that stick to one another and create a magnetic gradient that centers the pyrolytic graphite material. The magnets are position on a thin piece of sheet steel to keep them in place
The four opposing magnets here are but one possible configuration.
The graphite will levitate on the magnets. A small transparent dome is placed on top to protect the graphite from being blown off the magnets.
More on Pyrolytic Graphite: Pyrolytic Graphite is a synthetic material that is similar to graphite. It is produced by the decomposition of a hydrocarbon gas at very high temperature in a vacuum furnace. This process permits the graphite to crystallize (pyrolysis) into a layer by layer composition. Pyrolytic graphite have a single cleavage plane, similar to mica. Pyrolytic graphite exhibits the greatest diamagnetism of any room temperature solid (by weight) making it possible to levitate thin slices over rare earth magnets.
4