How to make the World’s Simplest Electric Toy Train from the Amazing Science YouTube channel, a super delightful science experiment that will wow kids, friends, family, science classes… pretty much everyone on the planet! With some coiled copper wire, an alkaline battery, and four strong magnets, you can propel the “train” through the coil track.
Thanks to Ph.D. physicist, engineer, and maker Dan Zimmerman, who tweeted this quick explanation: “poles of end magnets are attracted in & repelled out from short, moving electromagnet.” The napkin caption below: “Active electromagnet travels as permanent magnets touch new coils.”
He continues, “or think of it as the force on the current-carrying wires in fields of permanent magnets…”
File under DIY, experiments, demonstrations, circuits, and magnetic fields.
Thanks, @benjohnbarnes.
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