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How to Shrink a Quarter Using Electricity

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Electrically conductive metals, such as copper and aluminum, can be altered in form without bringing so much as a chisel to their surface. The secret: electromagnetic fields.

By inducing a high-intensity pulsed magnetic field into—in this case—a quarter, a corresponding repulsive magnetic field is created, rapidly—we’re talking 1/100th of a second, here—repelling portions of the quarter into itself. What results is a fat, dime-size 25-cent piece.

What You Need

• A coin

• An electromagnetic conductor

• A heavily constructed coil of wire

Step by Step

• Place coin in close proximity to wire coil.

• Discharge electromagnetic current through conductor, by closing its circuit.

• The current creates a ultrastrong, rapidly oscillating electromagnetic field around the wire coil.

• In turn, the coil creates an ultrastrong magnetic current (tens or hundreds of thousands of amperes), which overcome the coin, causing it to alter in shape and size.

• Imagine the coin is cowering in fear of the current, squeezing into itself like a scared baby animal.

[ThinkGeek, Engineers Handbook, The Geek Group]

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