Education Technology

Science: Vernier - The Magnetic Field in a Slinky

by Vernier Software & Technology

Overview

Students use a Magnetic Field Sensor to measure the magnetic field and the current in a solenoid. They explore factors that affect the magnetic field, study how the field varies in parts of the solenoid, and determine the permeability constant.

Key Steps

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    Students set up this experiment by creating a circuit with a power supply, resistor and a slinky. They connect a voltage probe across the resistor and place the magnetic field sensor inside one of the turns of the slinky close to its center.

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    Students collect data as they change the amount of current running through the circuit in order to create and analyze a graph.