I know this has no business here on this site but hear me out.

I know they can make really big/powerful magnets. If I were to get an engine sized magnet, mounted it in my car, with it pointed down, with (I think) opposite polarity? (so magnet was pushing away rather than pulling together), then placed a thick steel plate slightly under road. If I tilted magnet, wouldn't I drive off with NO GAS, or emissions? Mount the magnet so it only tilts forward/backwards. That would be cool. And seems like it could work.

Its just an idea and I know nothing of magnets. So lets keep the "Your a dumb a$$" remarks to a minimum please...lol

 

[quote=L98 "Your a dumb a$$"
hey you said it not me

not practical, i dont think you could fit a magnet large enough to move a car, in a car, and then the magnet itself would be so heavy it would not be able to move itself, let alone the car too.

then you have to put steel plates under all the roads in the country, all driveways, everywhere you would have to go, very impractical as well.

aside form all the impracticability, lets say you did get a massively strong magnet is the car, with it there, you would be unable to get near the car with any kind of metal on your person, if its strong enough to move the car, it would be plenty strong to keep you away from it.

 

Well, when you put it like that... But wouldn't it be nice? No gas? No $3.00+ bucks a gallon (and a 45min one way to work). At least for the daily commuter, of course.

 

If it is just a steel plate in the road, the magnet is only going to pull the car down, not forward.

If the road was made of steel plates that are magnets, say 10' long, the car would only move until the opposite the poles of the car and plate magnets are centered. Remember, every permanent magnet must have both a north and south pole, it can't be just one or the other.

Maglev vehicles work because the magnets in the "track" are constantly being switched as the vehicle moves down it. That takes energy, which violates the first assumption of your proposition.

So, while this question might not be "dumb", it is impossible for it to work.

 

i do have to agree with the gas issue, prices suck and i dont own anything that gets good mileage, the TA, about 9, silverado ss about 12, except my bicycle, oh wait, i dont even have that anymore, i guess im screwed

 

We need a 'shakes head' smile.

 

Quit burning gasoline if it's too expensive. There ARE other fuels, after all. Ethanol works fine for me.

 

Sort of a mag-lev concept.

Rollercoasters and trains (350+mph Shinkansen) can do it, so a car isn't unreasonable. You'd just need a "track" to run on.