| Abstract: | The present study investigates the force exerted by a magnetic liquid on a conductor with a current or a permanent magnet located near its infinite free surface. It is shown that this force is equal to the weight of the liquid raised by the magnetic field above the original horizontal level. The force is found for the cases when the liquid is weakly magnetic and when the shape of its surface differs little from plane. Consideration is given to the equilibrium of a magnet suspended on a small spring near the surface of the magnetic liquid. The critical height is found at which the magnet ceases to be held by the spring and is torn off into the liquid. The experimentally obtained values of the magnitude of of the force acting on the magnet and the height of collapse of the magnet into the liquid are in good agreement with the theoretical results.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 2, pp. 176–181, March–April, 1988.The authors are grateful to V. V. Gogosov for valuable discussion of the study. |
