Book 21, Question 112
How Can a Train Float on Magnets?
Imagine a train that floats just above its track, with no wheels touching at all. It is called a maglev train, and it really exists!
More fun facts
- Maglev is short for magnetic levitation.
- A maglev car is basically a box with magnets on its four corners.
- Loops in the guideway make the train hover about 5 inches above it.
- Magnetic pushes and pulls move the train along the guideway.
- The first commercial high-speed superconducting maglev opened in Shanghai in 2004.
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, BBC
Questions kids ask
Can two maglev trains on the same route crash into each other?
No. The guideway powers all the trains to move at the same speed, so one can't catch up.