Sasha Zouev

Physics IB, 16/05/06

Electromagnetism : The Current Balance Lab

Aim:

To investigate how a magnetic field affects a wire carrying an electric current. Furthermore, to examine how the strength of a solenoids magnetic field depends on the size of the current through the wire.

Hypothesis:

I predict that during this experiment we shall notice a number of specific relationships between the magnetic field and a current carrying wire. More specifically, tracing back to notes taken during our electromagnetism class discussions, the relationship between strength of a solenoids magnetic field and the size of the current through the corresponding wire will be the following:

Where B is the strength of the magnetic field inside the solenoid, F the force, IS the current going through the wire, and L the horizontal length of the solenoid. The force, F, is perpendicular to the directions of both the magnetic field and the velocity of the particle. To find this force we will be balancing the current balance with a small paper mass on the other side. From previous notes and textbook readings, I know that the graph of the force F, versus IS, the current through the wire should yield a positive relationship, one that when graphed goes through the origin. In other words, the strength of a magnetic field and the size of the current through the wire will be directly proportional. The slope of this line will simply be the force over the current:

We will use this relationship to calculate the strength B, inside the solenoid because combining the two previous formulas:
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Basing my hypothesis on these known formulas, I can safely predict that as more current is passed through the wire, the magnetic field will undoubtedly increase.

Furthermore we can also find the magnetic field per ampere of current that passes through the solenoid. Looking back at previous notes, it is apparent that the current passing through the solenoid IB will also yield a graph that represents a slope passing through the origin, more specifically the slope will be:

Therefore, the magnetic field strength B inside the solenoid per ampere of current IB through the solenoid should ...

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