McGlynn, E;van Kampen, P

2008

November

European Journal of Physics

A note on linking electrical current, magnetic fields, charges and the pole in a barn paradox in special relativity

Published

2 ()

29

63

67

We point out the connection between the 'pole in a barn paradox' and the phenomenon of alterations in charge in a segment of a current-carrying conductor as perceived by observers in different inertial reference frames. This connection appears to offer a useful pedagogical strategy helping students to appreciate that the issues which underlie the explanation of the paradox can be important and significant in everyday phenomena such as magnetic forces on moving charges and at the very modest speeds associated with electron drift in conductors.

BRISTOL

0143-0807

10.1088/0143-0807/29/6/N03