Magnetic field

Outline

• Earth’s magnetic field,

• concept of magnetic field

• magnetic flux and flux density

• force on a current-carrying conductors in a magnetic

field
• force on an electric charge moving in a magnetic field

• Flemings left-hand rule

Magnetic poles

• Forces between
magnetic poles mimic
forces between charges.
Magnetism and certain metals

• BUT….either pole
of a permanent
magnet will attract a
metal like iron??
Magnetic field of the earth
Magnetic field of the earth
The Earth behaves as though it contains a bar magnet inside it,
inclined at a small angle to its axis of rotation and with its South
Pole in the northern hemisphere while its North Pole is in the
southern hemisphere
The following are the magnetic elements of any given place:
I.angle of declination
II.angle of dip and
III.the horizontal component
The angle of declination (or variation) is the angle between the
direction of magnetic North and the direction of geographical
North at a particular point. The angle of declination is used in
navigation.
The angle of dip is the angle between the direction of the
Earth’s magnetic flux and the horizontal. The angle of dip is
measured by an instrument known as the dip circle.
The horizontal component of the Earth’s field at a point is the
strength of its magnetic flux acting in a horizontal direction.
Magnetic field of the earth

X is the neutral point or

the null point

A neutral point is a point

where the resultant
magnetic field is zero.
Magnetic monopoles

• Breaking a bar
magnet does not
separate its
poles
• There is no
experimental
evidence for
magnetic
monopoles.
Magnetic field lines
The properties of the magnetic lines
of force are:
1.The direction of the magnetic field
outside a bar magnet points away
from the North Pole of the magnet
and toward the South Pole.
2.The closer together the field lines,
the stronger the field.
3.The magnetic field lines are
imaginary lines.
4.The magnetic lines are
continuous.
5.The tangent to the magnetic lines
of force at every point gives the
direction of the field.
6.The magnetic lines of force do not
touch or intersect one another.
Magnetic field lines
The number of magnetic field lines that passes through a
given surface is measured by the magnetic flux ΦB for
the surface.
The magnetic flux is defined as
 B   B.ds
S

If the magnetic field B has a

constant magnitude  B  B  A  BA cos 
where θ is the angle between the field and the normal to
the surface, and A is the area of the surface.
The S.I. unit for magnetic flux is tesla-metre squared
(T.m2) or weber (Wb).
Magnetic field lines
Note:
i.If B and A are parallel (θ = 0°), then the magnetic flux is
positive and a maximum:
 B  B  A  BA cos 0 o   BA

ii.If B and A are opposite (θ = 180°), then the magnitude of

the magnetic flux is maximum again, but of opposite sign:
 B  B  A  BA cos180 o   BA
iii.If B and A are perpendicular, there are no field lines
through the loop, and the flux is zero:

 B  B  A  BA cos 90 o  0
iv.For situations at intermediate angles, the flux is given as

 B  B  A  BA cos 
The magnetic field

• Magnetic fields denoted with letter “B”

• measured in Tesla or Gauss (10-4 Tesla)
• Tesla =
Newton-second
Coulomb-meter
• Tesla =
Newton/Amp-meter
Magnetic flux calculations
•Flux through flat surface of area 3.0 cm2 = +0.90 milliWb.
•What is B field and direction of A?
Magnetic flux calculations
•Flux through flat surface of area 3.0 cm2 = +0.90 milliWb.
•What is B field and direction of A?

•Flux B = BA cos  = +0.90 milliWb

•A = 3.0 cm2 = 3.0 x 10-4 m2 and = 60°
•B = 6.0 Teslas
Electric current and magnets

• In 1820, Hans Oersted

discovered that a current-
carrying wire causes a
compass to deflect.

• This discovery revealed a

connection between
moving charge and
magnetism.
Electric current and magnets

• We’ll find a RIGHT-

HAND RULE applies to
identify the direction of a
magnetic field from a
current-carrying wire!

Right Thumb in direction of

current
Right Hand Fingers curl in
direction of Magnetic field!
Electric current and magnets

• We’ll find a RIGHT-

HAND RULE applies to
identify the direction of a
magnetic field from a
current-carrying wire!

Right Thumb in direction of

current
Right Hand Fingers curl in
direction of Magnetic field!
The magnetic field

• A moving charge (or current) creates a magnetic field in

the surrounding space.
The magnetic field

• A magnetic field exerts a force on any other moving

charge - or current - that is present in the field.
The magnetic force on a moving charge

• The magnetic force on a moving

charge q is perpendicular to both
• the velocity vector direction of q

and
• the magnetic field.

• The magnitude of the magnetic force

is F = |q|vB sin.
 Magnetic force as a vector product
• We can write the magnetic force as a vector product
• The right-hand rule gives the direction of the force on a positive charge.
 Magnetic force as a vector product
• We can write the magnetic force as a vector product
• The left-hand rule gives the direction of the force on a negative charge.
Equal velocities but opposite signs
• Two charges of equal magnitude but opposite signs moving in
the same direction in the same field will experience magnetic
forces in opposite directions.
Magnetic force on a proton
• Beam of protons (q =+1.6 x 10-19C) moves at 3.0 x 105 m/s through
2.0 Tesla field directed along z axis. Velocity direction is 30
degrees from the z axis in the x-y plane. Force on a proton?
Magnetic field lines are not lines of force
• It is important to remember that magnetic field lines are not lines
of magnetic force.
Motion of charged particles in a magnetic field

• A charged particle in a magnetic

field always moves with
constant speed.
• If velocity of particle is
perpendicular to B field,
particle moves in a circle of
radius R = mv/|q|B.
• Number of revolutions of
particle per unit time is
cyclotron frequency.
Motion of charged particles in a magnetic field

• F = qvB = mv2/R
  = v/R = qB/m
 f = /2
 Number of revolutions of
particle per unit time is
cyclotron frequency.
Helical motion

• If the particle has velocity

components parallel to and
perpendicular to the field, its
path is a helix.

• The speed and kinetic energy

of the particle remain constant.
Velocity selector
• A velocity selector uses
perpendicular electric
and magnetic fields to
select particles of a
specific speed from a
beam.

• Only particles having

speed v = E/B pass
through undeflected.
The magnetic force on a current-carrying conductor
• Experiments indicate that
the force on a wire carrying
current in a magnetic field is
given as
F  BIl sin 
F  kBIl sin 
F  BIl sin 
where k is a constant and has magnitude equal
to unity, B is the magnitude of the magnetic field
intensity measured in tesla (T), I is the electric
current measured in amperes (A), l is the length
of the conducting wire measured in metre (m)
and θ is the angle between the wire and the
magnetic field
Magnetic force on a straight conductor
If the quantity IL is a vector in the direction of the current
I, then the force F is given as
  
F  IL B

• Example 2

• What is F on the segment?

• What is the maximum possible force if it
changes direction?
Magnetic force on a straight conductor
• Example 3
A wire carries a 30 A current; if the wire is 5 cm long,
what is the magnitude of the maximum force on the wire,
if it is placed in a magnetic field of intensity B = 0.8 T?

F= BIL sin  = 0.8 x 30 x 5 x 10-2sin 90° N = 1.2N

Magnetic force on a straight conductor
• Example 4
An electron that has velocity v = (2.5 x 106m/s)i + (3.5 x
106m/s)j moves through a magnetic field B = (0.030T)i –
(0.15T)j. Find the magnitude of the force on the electron.

Solution
v = (2.5 x 106m/s)i + (3.5 x 106m/s)j, B = (0.030T)i –
(0.15T)j
F = qv x B
     
qv  1.6  10 19 2.5  10 6 i  1.6  10 19 3.5  10 6 j  4  10 13 i  5.6  10 13 j
i j k
13 13 4  10 13 5.6  10 13
F  4  10 5.6  10 0 k  7.68  10 14 k
0.03  0.15
0.03  0.15 0

F  7.68  10 14 N
ASSIGNMENT (DUE NEXT WEEK
WEDNESDAY)
• 1

• What is the TOTAL magnetic force on this wire?

ASSIGNMENT
2. A horizontal straight conductor XY is 2 m long with 2.0 A current flowing from X to Y is placed
in a uniform perpendicular field of flux density B. Calculate the value of B if 1.6 N acts on the
conductor.
3. An electron (mass, m = 9.1 x 10-31 kg, charge, q = 1.6 x 10-19 C) travels with a speed of 2.0 x 10 6
m/s at an angle of 30° with the direction of a magnetic field of 0.5 T in the +y direction. What are
(a) the magnitude of the magnetic force on the electron and (b) its acceleration?
4. A proton (mass, m = 1.7 x 10-27 kg, charge, q = 1.6 x 10-19 C) moves in a direction perpendicular to
a uniform magnetic field B at 1.00 x 107 m/s and experiences an acceleration of 2.00 x 10 13 m/s2
in the +x direction when its velocity is in the +z direction. Determine the magnitude and direction
of the field.
5. An electron moving at 2.0 x 10 6 m/s through a magnetic field of 2.0 T experiences a magnetic
force of magnitude 6.4 x 10-13 N. What is the angle between the electron’s velocity and the field?
6. A magnetic field B makes an angle 60o with a 240 m length conductor carrying a 150 A current.
Calculate the magnitude of B, given that the magnetic force on the conductor is 1.6 N
7. A straight conductor, with a length of 0.75 m along the x-axis, lies within a uniform magnetic
field, B = (1.6k) T. A current of magnitude 2.0 A flows in the conductor in the +x direction, what is
the magnetic force on the conductor?
8. A long wire parallel to the x-axis carries a current of 8.5 A in the positive x-direction, within a
uniform magnetic field B = 1.65j T. Calculate the force per unit length on the wire.