In this work, we present a coherent sequence of experiments on electromagnetic (EM) induction and
eddy currents, appropriate for university undergraduate students, based on a magnet falling through
a drilled aluminum disk. The sequence, leveraging on the didactical interplay between the EM and
mechanical aspects of the experiments, allows us to exploit the students’ awareness of mechanics to
elicit their comprehension of EM phenomena. The proposed experiments feature two kinds of
measurements: (i) kinematic measurements (performed by means of high-speed video analysis) give
information on the system’s kinematics and, via appropriate numerical data processing, allow us to
get dynamic information, in particular on energy dissipation; (ii) induced electromagnetic field
(EMF) measurements (by using a homemade multi-coil sensor connected to a cheap data acquisition
system) allow us to quantitatively determine the inductive effects of the moving magnet on its
neighborhood. The compari…