There is something magical about magnetism isn’t it? That mysterious repulsion between two magnets. Flip one around and they attract instead. Flip the other one too and they repel again.

Magnets make very fascinating toys. Here are a few.

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Using two magnets aligned perpendicular to each other, spinning motion is produced!

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This one is epic. A top levitating in the magnetic field of a ring magnet!

Before the advent of LCD monitors, we had the cathode-ray-tube monitors. CRT monitors are bulky and heavy and there is an electron gun inside spraying electrons towards the RGB coated screen. Perfect for demonstrations of Bqv.

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A neodymium magnet causes an explosion of colours on the screen!

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Time to bring out Fleming’s Left Hand!

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See how a magnetic field works.

A magnetic field can exert a magnetic force on a wire if the wire is carrying a current. (F=BIL). This is the basis for all electric motors.

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Here is a home-made toy DC motor: It works despite having no commutator. How come?

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2 segments of the wire must be experiencing magnetic forces in opposite directions, in order for the heart to spin. Can you identify the segments?

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This motor is rotated by one single torque (instead of a couple). Can you figure out how it works?

Iron filings, compasses, ferromagnetic fluids, etc. There are ways to make magnetic fields to reveal themselves.

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