Question
Show experimentally that a current carrying wire behaves like a magnet.
Solution
A current carrying wire behaves like a magnet. This can be proved using the following activity.
As in the figure, a wire is fixed along the edge of a table. 
Place a magnetic compass near the wire. Connect the two ends of the wire to a battery cell. And, we can see that the magnetic compass will deflect. Hence, the deflection proves that a current carrying wire behaves like a magnet. Now, place the compass at different points on the table at varying distances from the wire. Observe the deflection in each case.
When the current is stopped, the associated magnetic property also vanishes. Therefore, current is required in the wire, for it to behave as a magnet.
