The Physics Girl, Dianna Cowern took to her YouTube channel to demonstrate the effects of electromagnetism by violently exploding soda cans.
Cowern worked in collaboration with the Arc Attack Studios in Austin, to determine the impact of a powerful electromagnet as it blows apart an empty soda can.
One of the basic principles of electromagnetism rules that a current passing through a coil will generate a magnetic field. The strength of the magnetic field is proportional to the current passing through the coil. The direction of the magnetic field is determined using the famous right-hand rule. RHR dictates that if the thumb of your right hand points in the direction of the flow of current, then the curl of your fingers will indicate the direction of the magnetic field.
Although a magnetic field cannot cause a simultaneous soda can explosion, the changing magnetic fields can. Changing magnetic fields refers to a phenomenon whereby the strength of the magnetic field enhances as the current is increased. It can, therefore, induce secondary currents. The induced currents generate their own magnetic fields such that it is aligned with the first magnetic field.
So, now we have two incredibly powerful magnets atop each other. The strength of their repulsion will be so strong, that it will simply rip the soda can apart. The investigators have used a high-speed Phantom camera to capture the amazing footage at 11000 fps. Check out the video below: