Mapping the Poles
Students explore some basics of magnetic fields that can be related to experimental particle physics.
Magnets are at the heart of particle accelerators including the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This set of three qualitative classroom activities allows students to explore some basic physics of magnetic fields. This activity can serve as an introduction to the right-hand rule, which is foundational to the study of magnetism and its effect on electrically charged particles. Students study how magnetic fields can turn and focus the electrically charged particles in the LHC beam.