Levitation (physics)
Physical process by which an object is held aloft, without mechanical support, in a stable position / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Levitation (from Latin levitas, lit.ā'lightness')[1] is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact.
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Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts the pull of gravity (in relation to gravity on earth), plus a smaller stabilizing force that pushes the object toward a home position whenever it is a small distance away from that home position. The force can be a fundamental force such as magnetic or electrostatic, or it can be a reactive force such as optical, buoyant, aerodynamic, or hydrodynamic.[citation needed] Levitation excludes floating at the surface of a liquid because the liquid provides direct mechanical support. Levitation excludes hovering flight by insects, hummingbirds, helicopters, rockets, and balloons because the object provides its own counter-gravity force.[citation needed]