Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi,

I have a since project about magnets, so I want to control the magnetic field as making it pointed as a Laser.

How can i do that ?

http://www.instructables.com/image/FAUM ... t-Hack.jpg

I'm not sure I understand the question. You can't make a magnetic field that extends forever into space in one direction, magnetic fields always curve back to the opposite pole of the magnet eventually. However, it's possible to shape the field lines in a certain area to make them parallel.

What experiment/science project are you doing that involves this?

It isn't a problem of making the fields go back to the opposite pole, but I want the magnetic field pointed as a Laser at least for a moment in one point..

I want to make the repulsion to be focused in one area.

You can't really focus magnetic fields to a point, but you can make a region where the magnetic field lines are straight rather than curved. This wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halbach_array is a good starting place for one way to do this, as well as some links to other research you can do.

Another form of magnetic field shaping devices are the dipole and quadrapole magnets used in particle accelerators to steer beams of charged particles. Searching for information about how they work might give you some useful background, but as they typically include cryogenic superconducting elements that's probably not too practical for a high school student.

Again, perhaps if we had a better understanding of what experiment you're trying to perform, someone on the forum might have better ideas for how to accomplish it.