Catapult Description of Magnetic Fields and Forces

• Martin McCal ^[1] ; Paul Kinsle ^[1] ; Vijay Tymms ^[1]
  1. [1] Imperial College
• Localización: The Physics Teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, Vol. 58, Nº. 6, 2020, págs. 416-417
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • In many high school teaching materials the force on a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field is discussed using an idea based on a so-called “catapult field” (cf. Fig. 1), an engaging depiction of magnetic forces, albeit one which, to the best of our knowledge, has neither been used in college-level educational material or scrutinized in academic journals. Here we examine carefully the physical basis of the “catapult field” concept, and find both its accuracy and utility seriously questionable.