Magnetic Field (with plot)

Summary

This lab facilitates magnetic field experiments with a steady current in a straight conductor, whose intensity can be adjusted. A movable Hall sensor measures the field's magnitude at various distances. In this version of the labs students are shown a plot with the data and may download it for further processing.

 

Versions of the lab

This version of the laboratory displays a plot at the end of each experiment and allows students to download the data in a spreadsheet. This allows students to analyze the results without needing to gather and plot the data themselves.

An alterantive version of the lab exists (Magnetic Field) in which the plot and the data are not available. That way, in order to analyse the results and reach proper conclusions, students need to gather and plot the data themselves from the discrete sensor readings, similarly to how they would do so in a traditional hands-on lab.

 

Magnetic Field

Moving charged particles have the ability to create a magnetic field around them, which can interact with other moving charged particles. In this context, a conductor through which an electric current flows generates a magnetic field in its surroundings. This physical phenomenon is fundamental in numerous technological advances that we find in our daily lives, such as electric motors and various electronic devices.

 

Potential Experiments

Numerous experiments can be performed with our lab setup. Users can observe how the strength of the magnetic field varies with the current that generates it. They can explore the fundamental principles of electromagnetic induction, visualizing the link between a changing magnetic field and the induced electric current. By adjusting the probe's distance from the field, they can experimentally verify the inverse square law of magnetism, delving into the intricate relationship between field strength and distance.

 

Learning Objectives

The lab may cover the following learning objectives:

• Understand some processes of scientific endeavor through the development of a controlled experiment and the collection and interpretation of data associated with a physical phenomenon.

• Recognize electric current as a source of magnetic field.

• Find the relationship between the value of the magnetic field in a given direction and the current intensity through a straight conductor.

• Find the relationship between the value of the magnetic field in a given direction and the distance to the conductor.