PHSY202 – Lab 6

Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction

Instructional Goals:
Goal:
 To examine the effect of a magnetic field on a permanent magnet. sacrificing
 Find how a magnetic field affects a current carrying wire.
 See how a steady current in a coil of wire creates a magnetic field.
 See how a changing magnetic field creates an induced electric current.
 Examine Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction and Lenz’s Law.
 Examine the phenomena of magnetic braking.

Background Reading:
Background reading for this lab can be found in your class notes and in Walker 4e Chapters 22 and 23.

Equipment provided by the lab:

 Bar magnets
 Magnetic compasses
 Oil filled plastic block with iron filings
 Variable Gap Magnet
 Current Carrying wire loop with stand
 Variable DC Power Supply (not integrated in the 850 Interface)
 PASCO 850 Universal Interface with PC running PASCO Capstone
 Patch Cables with Banana Plugs

Equipment provided by the student:

 Bound notebook with quadrille (graph paper) pages
 Ruler
 Pen
 USB memory device for taking computerized data from the lab

Procedure:
A. Magnetic Fields around Permanent Magnets.
You have had experiences with permanent magnets since childhood. They cause an attraction to certain kinds
of metal (e.g. refrigerator doors). They can be used to link cars in a toy train or sometimes cause the cars to
push away from each other. You will now look at how these work in a little more detail. First you will explore
the polarity of a permanent magnet. Then, you will investigate how the magnets align with the magnetic field
lines. Lastly, you will see what happens when a magnet is broken.
1. Using two bar magnets with labels N(orth) and S(outh), find which ends attract each other and which
repel.

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PHYS202 – Lab 6 Magnetism and Electromagnetism
2. Discover which end of the magnetic compass points to the North pole of a permanent magnet and which
to the South pole. Draw and describe your compass in terms of being a permanent magnet.
3. Place the bar magnet on a piece of paper and trace the magnetic field lines according to how the magnetic
compass points at various locations. Remember that the magnetic field is a vector field and as such has
a direction!
4. Shake the plastic box containing the oil and iron
filings until the iron filings are suspended in the
solution. Insert the magnet and describe the
results. First do the bar magnet, then the cylinder.
Why are the patterns different?
5. Take a “broken” magnet and examine the
magnetic field around it when it is put together as
if not broken and is separated. You may use both
the compass and oil/iron filing block.
Describe/draw what you observe. What happens
when you separate the North and South poles of
the magnet?

B. Magnetic Field Effect on a Current Carrying Wire To Power

The Lorentz Force describes how a moving charge receives a force due to Supply
magnetic field. This force is perpendicular to the direction of the charge
and the magnetic field. Here you will get practice in applying the right-hand
rule. The strength of the force will depend on the amount of current and
strength of the field as well as the orientation. Be careful in applying these
and describing the effects.
1. Take the variable gap magnet and determine which direction the
magnetic field flows. (Hint: find which side of the gap is North and
which is South).
2. Set up the rectangular loop of wire as shown to the right and adjust the
height of the horizontal rod as needed. You may need to remove the
swinging pendulum used in section (E).
3. Connect the power supply to the loop using the horizontal support as
shown to the right.
4. Turn the voltage down on the power supply and then turn the power
supply on. Slowly increase the voltage. What happens? Draw and
explain the results in terms of the Lorentz force and the right-hand rule. Do not leave the power supply
turned on for extended periods as it will overheat.
5. Make sure to note the following (be specific):
i. What happens with larger or smaller voltages? Why can this be used as a proxy for current? Is there
a reason the deflection stops when a particular current is reached?
ii. What happens when the distance between the plates changes? (Move the top plate only)
iii. What happens when you reverse the direction of the current?

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PHYS202 – Lab 6 Magnetism and Electromagnetism
C. Magnetic Fields Created by Current Carrying Coils
Now you can see how a current makes a magnetic field. One of
the most useful ways is if the wire is wrapped in a coil or solenoid.
1. Connect the solenoid to the power supply making sure to
note which way the current “wraps” around the center.
2. Using your compass determine the direction of magnetic
field at both ends of the coil when the power supply is
turned on. When you turn on the power supply, always start
with zero voltage and increase until it causes the compass
needle to deflect.
3. Bring a bar magnet towards the end of the solenoid. Test
how the force on the magnet depends on distance from the
coil and on the current in the coil.
4. Turn off and disconnect the power supply when you are done this section.

D. Electric Current Induced by a magnet in a Coil of Wire

Faraday’s Law of induction describes how currents can be created by a changing magnetic flux. In our
arrangement with the solenoid, you cannot alter the cross sectional area of our loops of wire, but you can
change the strength of the magnetic field.
1. Next, attach the Voltage Sensor from the 850 Interface (in Analog Port A) to the copper solenoid as shown
(above right).
2. Make sure you noted which direction the current flows through the wire as it winds around the hollow
center. So you know which direction of current will produce a positive deflection of the graph in Capstone
and which direction produces a negative deflection.
3. Start Capstone and run “PHYS202 – Electromagnetism” and select the page marked “Magnet and
Solenoid”. There should be a graph of Voltage vs. time, if not, create one.
4. Start recording.
5. Using the thinner magnet, push the North Pole into the solenoid and pull it out again. Change the speed
with which you push and pull the magnet in and out of the solenoid. Reverse the magnet such that you
now push and pull the South Pole in and out of the solenoid coil.
a. Which way does the needle deflect in each case?
b. How does the height and width of the peak (i.e. maximum voltage) depend on the speed with
which the magnet moves?
c. Make a drawing of this and indicate which direction the current flows as the magnet is moving
inward with the North Pole.
d. Either print the graph or copy it to a document you will include in your report. Notate the graph
with which way the magnet was moving (which end in or out) and the relative speed (i.e. faster
or slower).
6. Repeat the procedure in step 5, but hold the magnet steady and move the coil. What happens now?
Explain.
7. Repeat the procedure in step 5 moving the coil and magnet together in the same direction. Do not move
them with respect to each other? What happens to the induced current? Why?

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PHYS202 – Lab 6 Magnetism and Electromagnetism
8. With one lab partner holding the coil vertically, record what happens to the voltage when the magnet is
dropped through the center? Make sure you catch the magnet after it comes out such that it does not
break when striking the table or floor.
a. Explain the relative shape of the peaks (positive/negative, tall/short, wide/narrow)
9. Use the Area tool to determine the area between each peak and the horizontal axis. What is the
relationship between these values?

E. Magnetic Braking
Moving a metal plate through a magnetic field sets up currents in the plates. The magnetic field that is
induced will oppose the motion of the plate, hence slow it down. The effectiveness of the braking action
depends on how easy it is for currents to flow. Better conductors allow for larger currents, and hence a
larger induced magnetic field and a larger force between the magnet and the metal plate. The geometry
of the path along which the current can flow also matters. If the current circulating in the plate is broken
up effectively, for example by putting slots in the plate, the magnetic damping force will be much smaller
than when the current is free to flow across the plate.

1. Remove the rectangular loop from the horizontal support and

mount the solid pendulum (i.e. the one with no slots) on the
arm (as shown). Adjust the height so that the wide part of the
pendulum will swing freely between the magnet plates (see
image to the right).
2. Start the pendulum at about a 30° angle and let it swing freely.
You should note how freely it swings.
3. Stop the pendulum and let it hang straight down. Position the
variable gap magnet such that the pendulum will swing
between the plates but not hit them (as shown to the right). (If
the gap is wide enough let the slotted and solid pendula swing
side by side.)
4. Again pull back the pendulum about 30° and let it swing.
Observe and report the details.
5. Make the gap between the plates very small and repeat step 4.
Why did the results change? Be specific.
6. Repeat steps two through four with the both slotted pendula.

Conclusion:
Be sure to include a statement that restates the objective and the main results.
This was a lab concerned with observations. Discuss what you observed and how those
observations demonstrate the Lorentz force law, magnetic field geometry, how currents make
magnetic fields, how currents are affected by magnetic fields, Faraday’s law of Induction and
Lenz’s Law.

Be sure to follow the guidelines in the PHYS201/202 Laboratory

Report Instructions.

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PHYS202 – Lab 6 Magnetism and Electromagnetism
Pre-Lab Exercises
Full Name:

Lab Section:
Hand this in at the beginning of the lab period. The grade for these exercises will be included in your lab grade
this week.
1. If you push the North pole of a magnet into a coil of
conducting wire, which way will the current flow?
Show on the drawing.

2. How will the current in the wire in question 1 change if the magent is moved more quickly?

3. In part (E), which of the pendula will have the greatest braking force? (Solid, slotted, or partially
slotted?)

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