PIRA 5H40.40 - Force on Current in a Wire: Lorentz Force
Videos Show the Demonstration Apparatus Used by the University
of Texas at Austin.
Instructions:
- Set the rod on top of the parallel wires within the magnetic field (grey colored magnet) to see the direction of the magnetic force applied on the rod.
- The top pole of magnet is north, bottom pole of magnet is south
Concept Conveyed:
- Running a current through the rod directly under the magnetic field applies a force on the rod, causing it to roll in a direction consistent with the Lorentz force law and the right hand rule.
- The direction of applied force can be changed by swapping the position of the positive and negative connections, which changes the direction of the current in the separate wire.
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