Electromagnetic Launcher / Levitator

In the spring of 2009 I was part of a four-member team assigned to develop a teaching tool demonstrating a scientific or engineering concept of our choosing. My team chose electromagnetic levitation. We wound our own electromagnet on a lathe and housed it in clear plastic so the mechanism could be seen by students. We attached a compass, which would change direction when the magnet was powered on, and several aluminum projectiles that could be either launched a few feet into the air or levitated.

This is a photo of the finished product in front of the CU engineering complex.