Magnetic Force - Force on a Wire

Magnetic force on a current-carrying wire is given by F = IL x B. In this demo, a rigid wire is set up between the north and south poles of a variable gap magnet, as shown here:

The wire is hooked up to a DC power supply. When the current is turned on, the magnetic field exerts a force on the current in a direction perpendicular to both the magnetic field and the current.