Can anyone help me determine how much force is created when a one tesla permanent magnet is allowed to make contact with a flat piece of iron. The distance that this size magnet can be released and will be drawn to the iron is about 3 centimeters. Is there any way to express this force in joules or watts?

I don't know how to do the calculations given the specific conditions, but a force is measured in newtons, not joules or watts.

I don't know how to do the calculations given the specific conditions, but a force is measured in newtons, not joules or watts.

 

Thanks Bignose. Yes, that is part of the problem I have. I think there is some way to determine that using the distance traveled, but if I knew, I wouldn't be here. I guess I should have said, 'Is there any way to express this force in joules or watts instead of newtons'.

 

energy = force x distance.

so what you do is get the equation for force, (or measure it) and plot that against the distance traveled on a graph (labeled in newtons and metres).

the area under the curve is equal to the number of joules.

energy = force x distance.

so what you do is get the equation for force, (or measure it) and plot that against the distance traveled on a graph (labeled in newtons and metres).

the area under the curve is equal to the number of joules.

 

Does the value of a 1 tesla magnet disk, 2' diameter with a pull force of 300 lbs. travelling 3 centimeters to hit a piece of metal give me enough information to determine the force of the strike?

 

What other information do I need to figure it out?

 

I'm not sure I'd know how to measure it.

 

Thanks for the help.

the force will ramp up suddenly as the magnet moves down, you need to plot the force curve from release to impact. you can measure the force - distance curve with a dissected kitchen scale, it but you'd be better off finding the equation

 

one thing that might messy your results is the magnetic feild induced in the metal as the magnet falls. if you drop a really powerful magnet onto a sheet of good copper, you'll notice it flips before contact. as the force ramps up, electrons in the metal begin to move, these make a magnetic feild that repels the falling magnet so it flips before impact