Experiment Ei-01
Force Between Parallel Wires
Description: Two
wires are suspended vertically about two inches apart in such a fashion that they
are slightly loose. The wires are connected to a storage battery or high current
DC supply. When currents are running in the same direction, the wires will attract
one other. When the currents are running antiparallel from each other, the wires
will repel one another.
Setup
for experiment. Note that the wires are attached to a piece of wood which in
turn is connected to a stationary bar to remove the tension in the wires. A
switch (bottom of photo) allows the direction of the current to be switched
easily. This image was taken when the currents were antiparallel. The wires
are more separated than one might expect.
In
this image, the current is running in the same direction in each wire, so they
attract.
Materials: wire,
stand, switch, storage battery or DC power supply, bar support, pieces of
wood for wire spacing
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Friday August 15, 2008 8:37 PM
