Soft Shape: Torque on a Loop (5H50.20)
Location: 58-top
Concept/Purpose: Torque on a current loop.
Procedure/Explanation: A simple prop made of yellow pipe insulation fashioned into a square
loop measuring 2'x2'. The square is mounted vertically on a board and is free to rotate a full 360.
Arrows can be clipped to the square to indicate direction of the current and the magnetic field it
produces. A 1 foot wooden 2"x4,” with its ends painted opposite colors, represents the magnet
used to produce a torque on the loop. You can hold the magnet in one hand and rotate the loop
with the other to show in a clear manner how the torque originates.