Observations
Experiment 1: moving wheel magnet with different magnets:
Wheel magnet was very unstable and uncontrollable
Using bar magnets to propel was slightly better than using horseshoe magnets
Laying wheels flat allowed them to move easily on flat, smooth surfaces but there was a lot of friction
Experiment 2:add wood rod through magnetic wheel:
Added some stability
Control improve but not sufficient
Weight of the wheels was a problem
Experiment 3:Add platform to magnetic wheels:
Stability improved
Weight became a problem- vehicle was much harder to move
Adding weight to platform to simulate people further degraded the preformance- it was very difficult to move the vehicle
Experiment four:Adding magnet to back of toy car:
Car easily moved by propelling with bar magnet
Vehicle was controllable and stable
Experiment 5:Levitating the vehicle on magnetic platform
Type, size and material of platform made a significant difference to stability
Thin platforms flip over- magnets want to stick to each other
Metal platforms cause a lot of interference with magnets
Thick platforms hit the sides and did not move easily
Over all wood performed better than metal
Once the correct size, thickness and material was identified, the car could be moved easily and swiftly.
A miniature "race" for "test vehicle 2" consisted of different surfaces. Carpet and cement...no. Apart from that, wood was best: A bit over 3 seconds for 1.5 meters.
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