Giant Neodymium Magnet vs. CRT TV

CRTs use the 3 primary colors Red, Green, and Blue to display images. Each color is represented by an electron beam which is shot at the back of the tube and illuminates little holes (called a mask). When the colors are shot at the same hole it can create any color, which is how images are formed. In the television, the electrons forming or painting the picture are moving as they are shot from the back of the tube to the front. When a magnet is brought close to the picture tube, the interaction between the flying electrons and the magnetic field creates a force that throws the electrons off course. Now the electrons are hitting the screen in places they were not intended to strike and the picture becomes distorted.

The idea of motion is demonstrated here in three basic forms, light, acceleration, and electricity. The connection of perception extends beyond the viewers engagement of the object, and toward the polarization of electrons by the magnetic pull. This easy demonstration communicates the interconnectedness of magnetism and electricity within a cause-and-effect relationship between an old CRT television and a magnet.