3. The Way It Works

So what does it take for a rock that can be magnetically attracted to spin? Its all about shape and nothing more. The bottom should be a nice shallow convexly curved surface, the smoother the better. The only other requirements are that it has variant thickness on opposite sides of the pivot point and that there is a proportional relationship between the weight of the rock and the pull of the magnet. The latter is in a sense adjustable being that magnets come in a variety of different strengths.

Basically it works like this. If you hold the magnet over the stone, between the center (pivot point) and the edge, and also between the thick and thin parts, the thicker part is more attracted and also closer to the magnet than the thinner part - so, it turns itself toward the magnet.



(Continued with - 4. The art of the crop circle)