PREVIEW

In this Course Outcome you will study the properties of magnetic fields. You will learn how a
magnetic field exerts a force on moving charges and currents, how electric currents produce
magnetic fields, and about the properties of magnetic materials. You will see how magnetic fields
play important roles in such devices as mass spectrometers, stereo speakers and tape recorders,
galvanometers, and electric motors.

QUICK REFERENCE

Important Terms

Magnetic field

• A vector field which exists in the region around a magnet. The direction of the field at any
point is the direction indicated by the north pole of a small compass needle placed at that
point. The SI unit is the tesla (T) a small compass needle placed at that point. The SI unit
is the tesla (T).

Magnetic force

• The force exerted on a moving charge due to a magnetic field. The magnetic force is
always perpendicular to both the direction of the magnetic field and the velocity vector.

Mass spectrometer

• An instrument which uses magnetic fields to determine the relative masses of atoms and
molecules.

Hall effect

• An effect where moving charges in a current-carrying metal or semiconductor are

deflected by an external magnetic field. The deflected charge carriers create an emf, the
polarity of which can be used to determine whether the charge carriers are positive or
negative.

Ferromagnetic materials

• Materials, such as iron, which can be permanently magnetized. These materials are made
up of tiny regions that behave like small magnets. In a permanent magnet, these regions
are aligned, and a high degree of magnetism results.

EQUATIONS

The magnitude B of the magnetic field at any point in space is defined as

𝐹
𝐵= 𝑞𝑜 (𝑣 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃)
(Equation 1.0)

The radius of the circular path of a charged particle moving in a magnetic field is given by
𝑚𝑣
𝑟= 𝑞𝐵
(Equation 2.0)

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The magnetic force on a current-carrying wire of length L is

𝐹 = 𝐼𝐿𝐵𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 (Equation 3.0)

DISCUSSION

The Force That a Magnetic Field Exerts on a Moving Charge

We are all familiar with simple magnets, and we know that magnets attract certain metallic objects
(like iron). In fact, magnets can exert forces on each other. A magnet has two poles, a north pole
and a south pole. When two magnets are placed near one another it is found that like poles repel
each other, and unlike poles attract each other. This behavior is similar to that of like and unlike
electric charges.

We know that an electric field exists in the space around electric charges. Similarly, a magnetic
field exists in the region around a magnet. The magnetic field is a vector that has both magnitude
and direction. The direction of the magnetic field at any point in space is the direction indicated
by the north pole of a small compass needle placed at that point.

When a charge is placed in a magnetic field, does it experience a magnetic force? Yes, if two
conditions are met:
1. The charge must be moving, for no magnetic force acts on a stationary charge.

2. The velocity of the moving charge must have a component that is perpendicular to the direction of the
field.

Consider a test charge +qo moving with a velocity v through a magnetic field B. If the charge is
moving at an angle with respect to the magnetic field, the field will exert a force F on the test
charge. The magnitude B of the magnetic field at any given point in space is then given by
Equation 1.0.

The direction of the magnetic force F is perpendicular to both v and B; in other words, F is
perpendicular to the plane defined by v and B. The directions of the force, magnetic field, and
velocity are related by a convenient rule called Right-Hand Rule No.1 (RHR-1). This can be stated
as

Right-Hand Rule No.1. Extend the right hand so the fingers point along the direction of
the magnetic field B and the thumb points along the velocity v of the charge. The palm of
the hand then faces in the direction of the magnetic force F that acts on a positive charge.

If the moving charge is negative instead of positive, the direction of the magnetic force is opposite
to that predicted by RHR-1. So, to find the force on a negative charge, use RHR-1 as if the charge
were positive, and find the direction of the force. Then, reverse this direction to find the direction
of the force that acts on the negative charge.

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Example 1.0

An electron traveling at a velocity of 5.0 x 106 m/s west enters a region of uniform magnetic field
of magnitude 2.0 x 10-3 T directed upward. What are the magnitude and direction of the force that
acts on this electron?

We can use equation 1.0 to find the magnitude of the force.

Answer: Force = 1.6 x10-15 N.

RHR-1 tells us that the force on a positive charge would be north (place your fingers upward with your
thumb to the west, your palm then faces north). Therefore, the force on the electron (which is negative)
would be so

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