How to levitate a lightbulb

Abstract

There exist many magnetic levitation toys, most of which use spin-stabilised levitation. A more recent demonstration features a levitating lightbulb which is made to float in the air and light up by magnetic forces. We study the workings of the lightbulb and explain how it operates via a different type of levitation known as electrodynamic suspension. We also examine the stability of the device, showing that levitation can be maintained even if the bulb is prevented from rotating.