The force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field is a common aspect of post-16 physics courses. Many textbooks approach this topic via a current balance, e.g. Hutchins (1990) through to Duncan (2000), with websites such as "Practical Physics" giving a qualitative version. This article takes the approach of equating "F = BIL"sin[theta] with "F = ma". In doing this the acceleration can be measured via video analysis and hence force equated to BIL. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)