World's Simplest Electric Train - Explanation? Possible In Mainstream?

@abrakadabra • Oct 24, 2024

Oct 24, 2024

1.7K

An YouTube Uploader who goes by the name 'Amazing Science å›' has created this simply DIY project. It's being called the world's simplest electric train. Using a magnet, a dry cell and a copper wire, he has created a simple design of an electric train.

This is one of the most brilliant things I've seen in some time. Could someone here explain how is it working? And is it possible to build such an electric train for public transport in real life?

Tagging #-Link-Snipped-# #-Link-Snipped-# #-Link-Snipped-# #-Link-Snipped-#

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Ramani Aswath

@ramani-VR4O43 • Jan 29, 2015

Ankita Katdare
explain how is it working
The copper wire has to be bare without varnish insulation. The magnets are electrically conducting. The voltage of the dry cell is now applied to the portion of the copper coil between the magnets. The coil now becomes an electromagnet. This hollow magnet now tries to centralize the magnets at the end of the cell to balance the field. Since the coil does not move and the dry cell is free, this moves. But there is more coil available at the new location. This process continues till the cell exits the coil or keeps going round and round when the coil is made endless.
There is nothing amazing if one gets down to basics. It will be an inefficient means of transport since the cell is shorted through the copper coil. This will drain the cell very quickly.
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Jan 29, 2015

Ankita Katdare
And is it possible to build such an electric train for public transport in real life?
Nope. We already have much advance systems that use electricity and magnetism: the MAGLEV. I was wondering why don't these guys use the magnetic levitation in elevators: <a href="https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/maglev-elevators-possible.74499">Maglev Elevators - Possible?</a>

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Shashank Moghe

@shashank-94ap1q • Jan 30, 2015

Well I am really bad at electro-magnetism. But I refreshed a few concepts with:

<a href="https://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teaching/302l/lectures/node72.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Lorentz Force</a>

I assume, as #-Link-Snipped-# said, the coil with a magnet inside produces an electric field and a charge moving in an electric field experiences a force parallel to the field. I suppose that is the reason for the acceleration that we see the for the [battery+magnet] assembly moving through the coil. The magnets just served the purpose of levitation here, not allowing the assembly to lose KE to friction.

I am really amazed by this video. I hope if I am wrong in my understanding, someone would correct me.

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Ramani Aswath

@ramani-VR4O43 • Jan 30, 2015

Shashank Moghe
The magnets just served the purpose of levitation here,
Since the current is DC, the coil acts just like a hollow magnet like a solenoid coil. Such a magnet will try to centralize the magnet in the centre to an equilibrium position . There is no levitation. Once the assembly moves, a new portion of the copper coil becomes the magnet. So a dynamic situation is created.
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Shashank Moghe

@shashank-94ap1q • Feb 2, 2015

Is that not levitation then? It comes to an equilibrium position, its levitating above/below any contact surface. I think "levitation" is more of a nomenclature thing here.
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Ramani Aswath

@ramani-VR4O43 • Feb 2, 2015

Shashank Moghe
It comes to an equilibrium position, its levitating above/below any contact surface.
This is the position parallel to the axis coil, not radial. In a coil if the magnet locates itself both axially and radially there is levitation and there will be no contact between the magnets and the coil (in this case). No current will flow and the battery magnet assembly will just vibrate. Because of low friction the solenoid effect is enough to pull the weight along the coil length. The power is insufficient to lift the substantial weight of the assembly against gravity in true levitation.
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Shashank Moghe

@shashank-94ap1q • Feb 2, 2015

So you are saying the magnet and the coil are in contact here?
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Ramani Aswath

@ramani-VR4O43 • Feb 2, 2015

Shashank Moghe
So you are saying the magnet and the coil are in contact here?
Have to be to complete the current path. The positive terminal of the battery gets connected to the magnet at that end, likewise the negative. The circuit is completed through the coil, which becomes an electro magnet for that length.
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Shashank Moghe

@shashank-94ap1q • Feb 3, 2015

Okay, still did not get what is the force that drives the magnet-battery assembly forward.
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