Jumping Wire

This demonstration shows the force on a current carrying wire in a permanent magnetic field. A cable is draped into a magnetic field between the poles of a magnet. When a current is run through the wire, it jumps due to the force.

* Equipment seen in the video may vary from equipment used in ND Demonstrations. See information and images below for ND equipment and setup.

Setup:

Place the equipment on the lab table. Plug the banana cable into the high current power supply. Drape the cable over the magnet so that it falls between the two poles.

Use the knob on the power supply to select the desired amount of current. Press the red button the power supply to turn on the current and see the wire jump.