Design, construct, and operate an electro-magnet. The team that can lift the most junk in weight total wins. Three attempts, you guys supply the A/C power. We all know what it takes to built a small magnet, but how difficult would it be to accomplish this with junk yard materials only? The big question is, what the weigth totals would be?

RAC

-- Renaldo Carrington (leonsr@mindspring.com), March 20, 2001

Answers

Just building a big magnet seems a bit too easy. (Get all the wire you can, wrap it around a big hunk of Iron, apply power.) But, require them to make a bit more around the magnet and this sounds good. Options: Supply your own power (battery farm, engine+alternator). Move stuff from point A to B (Wheels, pivoting arms, etc). Maximum Height.

-- John Calderwood (jkc@cts.com), March 23, 2001.

I love the electro magnet idea, it's perfect for the junkyard. But is there a way they could use it on segmented track to actualy pull or push themselves in a race!? Or how about a push or pull of war that pits the machines directly against each other?

Competing directly is what would make this episode fun, weird, and quite possibly dangerous

-- John Anderson (johnstuff@mindspring.com), March 26, 2001.