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Catapult field

This animation shows the catapult field in electromagnetism. A wire (shown by the orange disc) carrying an electric current is pushed into a uniform magnetic field, distorts the field and is then forced out of the field due to the mutual repulsion of the magnetic field round the wire and that between the magnets in accordance with Fleming's Left Hand Rule.

 
 
 
© Keith Gibbs/John Bourne 2008