Force on a Current Carrying Wire Lab
Students use a current carrying wire and a magnet to explore the magnetic force. Lab handout is included.
Magnetic fields are formed by moving charge (or electrical current), and they also exert forces on moving charge. In this simple lab, students observe the effects on a lightweight wire of a permanent magnet as it is moved in the vicinity of the wire. The direction of the magnetic field can be determined with a compass, and the direction of the magnetic force can be inferred from the direction of the wire deflection.
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