MadSci Network: Physics |
Bryan,
Thanks for the question. The answer really depends on what type of dust or other substance you are trying to clean from your room. It also depends on the type of magnet you are using.
If you have a lot of iron, nickel, or other strongly magnetic substance as dust then you are all set. Any ordinary magnet will attract dust made from these substances, called ferrormagnetic. It is a good idea to cover the magnet with a thin sheet of plastic, like plastic wrap, so that you can then easily clean the magnet by lifting off the plastic and dust together.
Another strategy is needed for non-ferromagnetic materials. There are many
more substances that are not strongly attracted to a magnet than those that are
strongly attracted. One strategy is to mix the regular nonmagnetic dust,dirt,
and grime with dust that is magnetic, and hoping that the magnetic stuff sticks
to the nonmagnetic stuff. Then you can use a magnet to pull all or most of the
magnetic and nonmagnetic material out together. If this seems too outlandish
then take a look at this URL:
Cleani
ng Oil from Birds
Another even more outlandish strategy is to use a property called
diamagnetism. It turns out that many substances are actually repelled by
magnets. This repulsion is very weak, usually thousands of times weaker than
the magnetic attraction of iron to a magnet, so we don't normally notice it. It
might be possible to use the diamagnetic effect to clean the floor of a room by
placing very powerful electromagnets under the floor. They could be turned on
when you wanted to clean and the dirt on the floor would float up off the floor.
To see that this effect really exists see these URLs:
Snow and Ice
Diamagnetism
Water
Diamagnetism
I hope that this gives you some ideas about how magnets can be used for cleaning. I am afraid they are not very practical at the moment, but someday, someone, maybe you, could make magnetic cleaning in the home practical.
Best Regards,
Everett Rubel
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Physics.