magnetic damping

Magnetic damping is a physics concept that describes the mechanical damping produced by the reaction of a magnetic field with eddy currents. These eddy currents are generated due to the relative motion between a conductor and the magnetic field.1

This process converts the energy of motion into heat. It occurs when a conductor, such as a coil or an aluminum plate attached to an oscillating object, moves between the poles of a magnet. The movement induces electric eddy currents within the conductor, and the interaction between these currents and the magnetic field creates a braking effect, thus damping the motion. An example of this principle is seen in an eddy-current brake, which uses magnets and rotating copper disks to create resistance to rotation.213