MAGNETIC FIELD AND

MAGNETIC FORCES
MAGNETISM: Properties of Magnets
1. If a permanent bar magnet is free to rotate, one end would point
north – this is the north pole or N-pole.

to north
pole

2. Like poles of two magnets repel and unlike poles attract.

3. If a permanent bar magnet is cut, it forms two smaller magnets
each with its own N and S poles.*

*A magnetic monopole has not been

observed in nature.
THE EARTH AS A MAGNET
THE EARTH AS A MAGNET
The Earth's magnetic field is caused by electric currents in the
liquid outer core.
magnetic declination – the
deviation of the magnetic axis
from the geographic axis.
Earth's magnetic field is tilted
with respect to the planet's spin
axis by about 11°.

magnetic inclination – angle of

the magnetic field line with the
surface of the earth.

The magnetic field is near

horizontal at the equator and
vertical at the poles.

The magnetic field of the earth ranges from 30T to 60 T.

MAGNETISM AND ELECTRICITY
In 1820, Oersted discovered that the
needle of a magnetic compass is deflected by
a current-carrying conductor.

Hans Christian Oersted

(1777-1851) Danish
physicist and chemist who
In 1824, Michael Faraday discovered that a
“accidentally” discovered
the relationship between moving magnet near a conducting loop
electricity and magnetism. produces current in the loop.
MAGNETIC FIELD ( B )
A moving charge or current creates a magnetic field in the
surrounding space (in addition to its electric field).

The magnetic field exerts a magnetic force on any other

moving charge or current that is present in the field.

Magnetic field is a vector field, the direction of which is the

direction which the N-pole of a compass needle tends to point.

units of B:
N N
1 m
 1  1tesla (T )
Cs Am

1 gauss (G)  104 tesla

MAGNETIC FIELD LINES
Magnetic field lines show the direction of the magnetic field
at any point in the field.
• the line through any point
is tangent to the magnetic
field vector.
• where field lines are close
together, the magnetic
field magnitude is greater.
• magnetic field lines never
intersect.
• the direction of the magnetic
field points away from N-
pole and toward S-pole.

• magnetic field lines have no

ends.
MAGNETIC FIELD LINES

(a) C-shaped magnet

MAGNETIC FIELD LINES

(b) Straight Wire

MAGNETIC FIELD LINES

(c) Coil (d) Solenoid

EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS ON MAGNETIC FORCE
ON MOVING ELECTRIC CHARGES.
1. The magnitude of the magnetic force F is directly proportional to
the charge q.
F  |q |
2. The magnitude of the magnetic force F is directly proportional to
the magnitude of the magnetic field B.

F B
3. The magnitude of the magnetic force F is directly proportional to
the particle’s velocity v.

F v
A charged particle at rest experiences no magnetic force.

4. The magnetic force F is always perpendicular to both B and v.

MAGNETIC FORCES ON MOVING CHARGES

F  | q | v B

F  | q | v B sin 

F  qv  B
MAGNETIC FORCES ON MOVING CHARGES
THE RIGHT-HAND RULE: for + charges
The thumb points to the V
direction of the charged particle’s
velocity v.

The index finger points to the

direction of the magnetic field B. B

The middle finger points to the

direction of the magnetic force
acting on the charge F.

directions of vectors:
F
away from observer: x
toward the observer:
Example 1. A beam of protons ( q = 1.6 x 10-19 C ) moves at
3.0 x 10 5 m/s through a uniform magnetic field with a magnitude 2.0
T that is directed along the +z-axis. The velocity of each proton lies in
the xz-plane at an angle of 30o to the +z-axis. Find the magnitude
and direction of the force on a proton.

downward
Example 1. A beam of protons ( q = 1.6 x 10-19 C ) moves at
3.0 x 10 5 m/s through a uniform magnetic field with a magnitude 2.0
T that is directed along the +z-axis. The velocity of each proton lies in
the xz-plane at an angle of 30o to the +z-axis. Find the magnitude
and direction of the force on a proton.
Example 1. A beam of protons ( q = 1.6 x 10-19 C ) moves at
3.0 x 10 5 m/s through a uniform magnetic field with a magnitude 2.0
T that is directed along the +z-axis. The velocity of each proton lies in
the xz-plane at an angle of 30o to the +z-axis. Find the magnitude
and direction of the force on a proton.
MOTION OF CHARGED PARTICLES IN A
MAGNETIC FIELD

FMAGNETIC  FCENTRIPETAL

mv 2
qvB 
R
Radius of circular orbit in
magnetic field:

mv
R
qB
MOTION OF CHARGED PARTICLES IN A
MAGNETIC FIELD ``

Radius of circular orbit in

magnetic field:

mv
R
qB
MAGNETIC FLUX (B)
magnetic flux – is a measure of the amount of magnetic field
passing through a given surface.
Consider a surface area A divided into area elements dA.
Determine the component of the magnetic field perpendicular to the
area element.
The magnetic flux on the area element is

d B  B cos  dA
where  is the angle between B and the
area vector A.

d B  B  d A
MAGNETIC FLUX (B)
The magnetic flux for the whole area is

 B   BdA cos  B   B  d A

For a regularly-shaped area:

 B  BA cos 
Maximum magnetic flux: unit: Tm  weber (Wb )
 B  BA
2

Magnetic Flux Density – another term for magnetic field.

B
B
A
GAUSS’S LAW FOR MAGNETISM
The total magnetic flux through a closed surface is zero.

 B  dA  0 (for any closed surface )

MAGNETIC FORCE ON A CURRENT-CARRYING
CONDUCTOR

F  q v B sin  I

l 
F  q  B sin 
t 

q
F    l B sin 
t

F  I l B sin  I
MAGNETIC FORCE ON A STRAIGHT CONDUCTOR

F  I l B sin 

F  Il  B
I
Example 2. A straight horizontal copper rod carries a current of
50.0 A from west to east in a region between the poles of a large
electromagnet. In this region, there is a horizontal magnetic field in
the direction 45o NE with a magnitude of 1.20 T. Find the magnitude
and direction of the force on a 1.00-m section of the rod.

F  I l B sin 
F  (50 A)(1.00m)(1.20T ) sin 45

F  42.4 N , upward
MAGNETIC FORCE ON A CONDUCTOR
For any conductor (straight or not), divide it into infinitesimal
segments dl.

d F  I dl  B

dF  I dl B sin 

F   I dl B sin 
Example 3. Find the total magnetic force on a composite conductor
carrying a current I (see figure below).
F A  I l B 0


F B  I L  B  ILB j

semicircle portion (FC ):

dF  I dl B dFx  I Rd B cos 

dF  I Rd B dFy  I Rd B sin 
 
Fx  I RB  cos d  0
0


Fy  I RB  sin d
0

Fy  I RB [( cos  )  ( cos 0)]  2 IRB


F C  2 IRB j
 
F  F A  F B  F C  0  ILB j  2 IRB j

F  IB( L  2 R) j
Example 3. In Figure 1,
the current loop is
composed of four
segments and carries a
current of 10 A in the
direction shown. The radii
of the ¾ circles are a =
10 cm and b = 20 cm
and sides c and d are
straight. If the loop is in
a uniform magnetic field
of 0.500 T in the +z
direction, (a) find the
magnetic force on
segments a, b, c, and d,
and (b) the net magnetic
force on the whole
current loop.
B is eastward.
(a)

x
(b)
MAGNETIC TORQUE 
Consider a wire loop carrying a current I inside a uniform
magnetic field of magnitude B.

W F
axis
x
B
I W/2 W/2
L Ix B F
F F   Fr
  2F  2 
W

axis   2( ILB) 2 
W
MAGNETIC TORQUE 
F
axis
  2( ILB)W2 
I W/2 W/2
x
B   ( IB)LW 
F
  IAB
If the current loop has N number of turns

  NIAB
MAGNETIC TORQUE 
MAGNETIC TORQUE 
A When the magnetic field and
the area vector are perpendicular,
F the magnetic torque is maximum.

B
 max  IAB
x

I W/2 W/2

F F
If the angle between the
A magnetic field and the area vector is
I , the magnetic torque is

B
W
2 sin 
x
  IAB sin 

F
MAGNETIC MOMENT 
The product IA is called the magnetic moment  (which
is a vector whose direction is that of the area vector).

F

IA
I

W
sin 
B    B sin 
2
x

F   B
Magnetic torque tends to rotate the loop in the
direction of decreasing .
ELECTRIC MOTOR
ANSWER: 0.024 T, +y direction
ANSWERS: (a) 0.030 T, +j (b) 0.017 T, -j
In the figure below, the rectangular wire loop carries a
current of 10.0 A. The loop is in a uniform magnetic field of
0.500 T in the +x-direction. Find the magnitude and
y
direction of the magnetic torque on the loop (a) if the plane
of the loop is parallel to the xy-plane. (b) if the loop is
rotated through a 60o angle about the y-axis such that the
left side of the loop is coming out of the plane of the figure.
y
2.40 m

1.20 m
x

I
PROBLEM 1.
PROBLEM 2.