Thrown for a Loop

Students begin to focus on the torque associated with a current carrying loop in a magnetic field. They solve example problems as a class and use diagrams to visualize the vector product. In addition, students learn to calculate the energy of this loop in the magnetic field. Through the associated activity, "Get Your Motor Running," students explore a physical model to gain empirical data and compare it to their calculated data. A homework assignment is also provided as a means of student assessment.