  We describe and discuss an experimental set-up which allows undergraduate and
graduate students to view and study magnetic levitation on a type-I
superconductor. The demonstration can be repeated many times using one readily
available 25 liter liquid helium dewar. We study the equilibrium position of a
magnet that levitates over a lead bowl immersed in a liquid hand-held helium
cryostat. We combine the measurement of the position of the magnet with simple
analytical calculations. This provides a vivid visualization of magnetic
levitation from the balance between pure flux expulsion and gravitation. The
experiment contrasts and illustrates the case of magnetic levitation with high
temperature type-II superconductors using liquid nitrogen, where levitation
results from partial flux expulsion and vortex physics.
