Electrostatic levitation

Levitation is the process by which an object is suspended against gravity, in a stable position, by a force without physical contact. This can be achieved through jets of gas pushing upwards against the object (as in air hockey), or pushing downwards from the object (as in helicopters, VTOL aircraft, and hovercraft). A sphere can be stably levitated in a stream of air without any type of control system, if conditions are right. These effects are due to Bernoulli's principle. This was merchandised as a toy, circa 1960. Objects with the right properties can be levitated without even indirect contac ...

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Magnetic levitation - Diamagnetism. A substance which is diamagnetic repels a magnetic field. Earnshaw's theorem does not apply to diamagnets since they behave in the opposite manner of a typical magnet (relative permeability μr < 1). All materials have diamagnetic properties, but the effect is very weak, and usually overcome by the object's paramagnetic or ferromagnetic properties. A material which is predominantly diamagnetic will be repelled by a magnet, although typical objects only feel a very ...

See also:

Magnetic levitation, Magnetic levitation - Methods, Magnetic levitation - Diamagnetism, Magnetic levitation - Superconductivity, Magnetic levitation - Feedback control systems, Magnetic levitation - Oscillating fields, Magnetic levitation - Gyroscopic motion

Read more here: » Magnetic levitation: Encyclopedia II - Magnetic levitation - Methods