Lab 06 - Magnetic and Electric Interaction
Materials/Supplies
Access to computer and high-speed internet, Java installed on the computer
Time Spent
Approximately 2 hours, does not need to be done at one sitting
Learning Objectives
● Define and describe the laws of physics which govern how electric fields interact with
magnetic fields
● Deconstruct the various methods of interaction between electric and magnetic fields
Virtual Lab
To begin this experiment, proceed to the following:
EM Induction Simulation
Once the software is finished initializing (this may take a while!), you should see something
similar to the lab from last week. Understanding magnetic fields is a great primer for
understanding how they interact with electric fields. We are already experts in magnetic fields,
so proceed straight to the “Pickup Coil” tab at the top, where you will see a screen similar to the
one below:
, Figure #1
1. Click and drag the bar magnet inside and back outside the loop of metal wire, quickly
and repeatedly, through the center of the loop. Describe what happens below.
Answer:
When the magnet is moved through the loop, the light bulb lights up. The brightness increases
when the magnet is moved faster through the loop and the bulb turns off without movement.
Hopefully you notice the light bulb lighting up! This happens because the metal wire is a
conductor and is connected to the light bulb such that if there is current flow, then the bulb will
glow. It did glow, so there MUST have been current flow. What generates current flow? A
voltage! So could it be that dragging a magnet through a conductor generates voltage? The
answer is yes, IF the conductor forms a closed loop around the magnet.
2. What did you change when dragging the magnet through the conductor loop? Describe
this in terms of what we learned last week.
Answer:
When dragging the magnet through the loop, I changed the magnetic field through the loop
over time, which induced a current. Unlike last week, there are no fixed positive and negative
terminals, so the emf is created around the loop, and the direction of current is determined by
Lenz’s Law.
Materials/Supplies
Access to computer and high-speed internet, Java installed on the computer
Time Spent
Approximately 2 hours, does not need to be done at one sitting
Learning Objectives
● Define and describe the laws of physics which govern how electric fields interact with
magnetic fields
● Deconstruct the various methods of interaction between electric and magnetic fields
Virtual Lab
To begin this experiment, proceed to the following:
EM Induction Simulation
Once the software is finished initializing (this may take a while!), you should see something
similar to the lab from last week. Understanding magnetic fields is a great primer for
understanding how they interact with electric fields. We are already experts in magnetic fields,
so proceed straight to the “Pickup Coil” tab at the top, where you will see a screen similar to the
one below:
, Figure #1
1. Click and drag the bar magnet inside and back outside the loop of metal wire, quickly
and repeatedly, through the center of the loop. Describe what happens below.
Answer:
When the magnet is moved through the loop, the light bulb lights up. The brightness increases
when the magnet is moved faster through the loop and the bulb turns off without movement.
Hopefully you notice the light bulb lighting up! This happens because the metal wire is a
conductor and is connected to the light bulb such that if there is current flow, then the bulb will
glow. It did glow, so there MUST have been current flow. What generates current flow? A
voltage! So could it be that dragging a magnet through a conductor generates voltage? The
answer is yes, IF the conductor forms a closed loop around the magnet.
2. What did you change when dragging the magnet through the conductor loop? Describe
this in terms of what we learned last week.
Answer:
When dragging the magnet through the loop, I changed the magnetic field through the loop
over time, which induced a current. Unlike last week, there are no fixed positive and negative
terminals, so the emf is created around the loop, and the direction of current is determined by
Lenz’s Law.
