Explain what is meant by a 'Levitating Light Bulb'?

A Light bulb generally has a wire connected to it. But this levitating light bulb just hovers in the air above a wooden block and draws power from it. This bulb even rotates if spun. This wooden block is of course connected to the switchboard for power.

How Did It Hover?

This levitating light bulb makes the look interesting when it just hovers gracefully above the wooden block while it glows. As it is evident from the basic principles of magnetism that like poles repel, the bottom of the bulb contains a magnet and lets it hover on the wooden block which has the magnet of the same pole. The Lightbulb is levitated when it is placed at the center of this wooden base.

How Does It Glow?

Fine, now we know how it glows. But how does the power transferred? The concept of wireless power transfer answers this question. The wireless power transfer is nothing but the electromagnetic induction.

When the magnet in the wooden block gets power, it gets magnetized and transmits electromagnetic energy. The base of the bulb which contains another magnet, when brought in close proximity and aligned with the transmitter, the electromagnetic energy gets induced into it. This energy is induced by the magnet placed in the receiver or the base of the bulb, which is then converted into AC for the bulb to glow.

Hence, the bulb glows but levitates due to the opposing magnetic forces acting between the wooden block and the base of the bulb. That’s it.