Just because someone disagrees with you scientifically, do not mean that you are not welcomed.
Ask Smudge to provide evidence for his position, e.g. to define the force vectors that this device exerts on a small conductive disk, which is much smaller then the embedded copper/silver ring.
Smudge said I am "fixated on the perception that creating unusual levitation
MUST involve rotating fields, and I am wrong". However, this is not true. I do not think rotating fields MUST be involved. I'm actually extremely interested in SME and the devices he has considered, which doesn't involve rotating fields.
Smudge also said in another thread,
With Larmor precessions of course I see rotation, and close to each precessing particle I see a rotating field. But in bulk material where there is no coherence the rotating fields do not appear external to the material, so we can't use them. But we can use a temporary change in overall magnetzation when the precession angle is temporarily forced to change.
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Smudge
As you can see, this isn't about a disagreement. This is about his writings and the devices he has considered, which do not use rotating fields, as shown in the below quote. I fully understand his position. This is his bench and his writings. However, this topic is about the electron spin itself, and not just limited to his writings. If not, I can respect this (no hard feelings either way). However, upon his request, you chose not to put the "gold dust" in the dust bin thread on the basis it was related to electron spin. My linking to the effects of rotating magnets is also related to electron spin. However, Smudge wanted the effects of rotating magnets to be thrown in the dust bin as he did with the master magnet (gold dust). I'm not here to cause division and I'm also not here to be belittled.
You are completely wrong to link these effects using rotating magnets with my writings. The devices I considered do not use rotating fields. I tried to point this out tp you but you seem fixated on the perception that creating unusual levitation MUST involve rotating fields, but you are wrong.
Smudge
The spinning magnet setup is a classic demonstration of Larmor Precession and Orbital Magnetic Motion. The effects are primarily due to the magnet's intrinsic angular momentum (its physical spin) interacting with the external magnetic field. The underlying physics is nearly identical for both the master magnet and the orbiting spinning magnet. A smaller magnet spins because it's interacting with the changing field of a larger magnet. The conductive disk creates its own temporary "magnet" (via eddy currents) which then tries to align with or "chase" the moving field of the electromagnet. In both cases, the asymmetry of the field (provided by the copper ring/larger magnet) converts a pulsating force into a continuous rotational torque.
The "Wobble" (Larmor Precession): When the small magnet spins, it gains angular momentum. The large magnet exerts a torque on the small one, trying to align its south pole with the large magnet's north pole. Instead of flipping instantly, the small magnet precesses (wobbles). The specific combination of axial spin (counter-clockwise) and orbital rotation (clockwise) is a result of the Lorentz force and the conservation of angular momentum. The magnet "skates" along the isopotential because it is the path where its potential energy remains constant. The fact that the axial spin and orbital rotation are in opposite directions is a macro-scale analogy to how orbital and spin angular momentum can couple in an atom. In quantum mechanics, this is known as Spin-Orbit Coupling. This experiment is a great classical analogy of the "effects" of electron spin,
The underlying physics is nearly identical for both the master magnet and the orbiting spinning magnet. It's also nearly identical to the effects of rotating magnets that I linked to. A smaller magnet spins because it's interacting with the changing field of a larger magnet. The conductive disk creates its own temporary "magnet" (via eddy currents) which then tries to align with or "chase" the moving field of the electromagnet. In all three cases, the asymmetry of the field (provided by the copper ring, or the larger magnet, or the rotating magnets) converts a pulsating force into a continuous rotational torque.
We have gradient-based eddy current forces in the master magnet. The relative size of the object changes the "net" force between repulsion (Lenz's Law) and lateral dragging (the shifting field).
We have three specific behaviors occurring, based on the size of the non-ferrous metal:
1. Large Object (Dominant Repulsion).
When the metal is larger than the copper ring, it intercepts a massive amount of the primary magnetic flux from the electromagnet. The large surface area allows for massive, circulating eddy currents to form across the entire face of the metal. This results in an "opposing" magnetic field generated by the metal to be stronger than the localized "shifting" effect of the copper ring. The primary interaction is axial repulsion, it wants to push away from the magnet entirely.
2. Matching Size (The "Trap" or Attraction).
When the metal is roughly the same size as the ring, it becomes "captured" by the localized field gradient created by the ring. At this scale, the metal "sees" the difference between the unshaded and shaded poles clearly. The copper ring creates a region of lagging flux. As the magnetic field sweeps across the pole, the metal is constantly "chasing" the peak flux density. This creates a centering force. Because the field is effectively "pulling" the metal toward the shaded portion and holding it there through the cycle, it appears to be attracted to the center of that ringed assembly rather than being blown away.
3. Small Objects: (The "Motor" Effect).
When the metal is much smaller than the diameter of the ring, the field appears almost uniform across its small body, but with a high "phase gradient." The small object acts like a tiny "squirrel cage" rotor. The magnetic field isn't just pushing it, it is rotating underneath it. Because the object is small, the torque (turning force) becomes much more significant than the linear "push" or "pull". The small piece begins to rotate or spin in place as it tries to synchronize with the sweeping field of the shaded pole.
Summary of Scaling Effects:
| Metal Size | Primary Force | Visual Behavior |
| Large | Bulk Repulsion | Pushed away from the magnet face |
| Diameter-Match | Gradient Capture | Held/Attracted to the ring center |
| Small | Asymmetric Torque | Spinning or orbital motion |
The torque causing the small non-ferrous metal to spin is similar in principle to the two-magnet interaction, as both involve the alignment of two magnetic vectors. In the copper ring scenario, a "sweeping" or rotating magnetic field induced by the ring causes eddy currents in the metal, which then attempt to catch up with the field, creating a spin. This "induced torque" acts on small, low-inertia objects similarly to how a permanent magnet's field causes another to turn, with the primary difference being that the magnetic field is created through induction rather than being intrinsic to the small object.
A small conductive disk placed in this field experiences forces that can be broken down into three primary vector components. These vectors arise from the interaction between the shifting magnetic field and the eddy currents induced within the disk. The net effect on a very small disk is an orbital or spinning torque because the magnetic field is not just turning on and off; it is physically "sweeping" across the disk's surface.
1. The Axial Repulsive Force - This vector points away from the electromagnet’s face. As the magnetic flux increases, it induces circular eddy currents in the small disk. According to Lenz's Law, these currents create a magnetic field that opposes the electromagnet. For a small disk, this force is often weak enough that gravity or a pivot can overcome it, allowing the disk to stay near the pole face rather than being blown away.
2. The Lateral Drag Force - This vector points sideways, in the direction of the "sweep" (from the unshaded side toward the shaded/ringed side). The shifting magnetic field "drags" the induced eddy currents along with it. If the disk is free to move, it will slide toward the copper ring. If it is pinned at its center, this lateral force becomes the Torque that makes it spin, as we see in the homopolar motor/generator.
3. The Radial Centering Force - This vector points toward the center of the highest flux density. Because the copper ring delays the magnetic field, the "peak" of the field moves in a curve or gradient. This is why we observe that a disk roughly the size of the ring gets "attracted" or trapped. The disk is essentially seeking the center of the shifting magnetic "hump".
| Vector Component | Direction | Resulting Action |
| Axial (z-axis) | Away from magnet | Repulsion/Levitation (usually minor for small disks) |
| Tangential (0-axis) | Unshaded ----> Shaded | Spinning/Rotation |
| Radial (r-axis) | Toward Ring Center | Centering/Attraction |