Dynamical interactions between two uniformly magnetized spheres

Abstract

Studies of the two-dimensional motion of a magnet sphere in the presence of a second, fixed sphere provide a convenient venue for exploring magnet–magnet interactions, inertia, friction, and rich nonlinear dynamical behavior. These studies exploit the equivalence of these magnetic interactions to the interactions between two equivalent point dipoles. We show that magnet–magnet friction plays a role when magnet spheres are in contact, table friction plays a role at large sphere separations, and eddy currents are always negligible. Web-based simulation and visualization software, called MagPhyx, is provided for education, exploration, and discovery.