Experimental competition Solution: Problem 1

28 April 2009 Page 1 of 4

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Problem 1: The Earth’s Horizontal Magnetic Field

Section I

φ d
a/2
φ
• •
a O P X
x

i a
Fig. 1

At O, the centre of coil, the magnetic field for a single turn is

BO = 4 ×
μ0i ( a 2) =
2 2 μ0i
.
⎛a⎞ 2 2 πa
2π ⎜ ⎟ ⎛ a ⎞ + ⎛ a ⎞
⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎜⎝ 2 ⎟⎠ ⎜⎝ 2 ⎟⎠

At P, the horizontal magnetic field is

BPX = 4
μ 0i ( a 2) cos φ . [0.3 point]
2π d ⎛a⎞
2

d2 +⎜ ⎟
⎝2⎠

From Fig. 1 we have d =

⎛a⎞
2

x 2 + ⎜ ⎟ and cos φ =
( a 2) . [0.2 point]
⎝2⎠ ⎛a⎞
2

x2 + ⎜ ⎟
⎝2⎠
Then, for a square coil of N turns [0.2 point]
⎛ 2 μ iN ⎞ a/2 a/2
B px = ⎜ 0 ⎟ ⋅ ⋅
⎝ π ⎠ ⎛a⎞
2 ⎛ 2 ⎛ a ⎞2 ⎞
x + 2⎜ ⎟
2 ⎜x +⎜ ⎟ ⎟
⎝2⎠ ⎜ ⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎟⎠
⎝

⎡ ⎤
⎢ ⎥
⎛ μ 0 a 2 iN ⎞ ⎢ 1 ⎥
or B px = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ ⎢ ⎥ [0.3 point]
⎝ 2π ⎠ ⎢ ⎛ 2 ⎛ a ⎞ ⎞ 2 ⎥
2 2
⎜ x + ⎜ ⎟ ⎟ x + 2⎛⎜ a ⎞⎟
⎢⎜ ⎥
⎣⎝ ⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎟⎠ ⎝2⎠ ⎦
Experimental competition Solution: Problem 1

28 April 2009 Page 2 of 4

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2 2μ0iN
which becomes BO = as x = 0 .
πa

Section II
Measurements to justify that we can ignore the torsion of the string.

length of string time for 10 oscillations

(cm) (sec)
2 9.38
4 9.69
6 9.90
8 10.13
10 10.13
12 10.22
14 10.12
25 10.12

(Note that this data is from a different magnet used in Section III.)
We can see that the period is constant for length of string ≥ 10 cm.

Section III
The distance between the center of the magnet and the top surface of the platform for Part a), b) and
c) is 14.0 ± 0.5 cm.

a) Coil’s magnetic field and Earth’s horizontal magnetic field are in the same direction

Since the coil’s magnetic field ( B ) and Earth’s magnetic field ( BH ) are in the same direction, from

I 1 m 1
T = 2π we have 2 = β B + β BH where β = By plotting linear graph of
mB T 4π I2
T2
and B we can find BH from its slope and intercept.
Experimental competition Solution: Problem 1

28 April 2009 Page 3 of 4

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Measurement of 20 oscillations at different distances from coil, we get the result as in table.
x (cm) time for 20 oscillation period T B (×10−4 T ) 1 T2
(sec) (sec)
10 7.44 7.35 0.370 2.878 7.305
12 8.19 8.13 0.408 2.259 5.998
14 8.87 8.91 0.443 1.773 5.088
15 9.5 9.62 0.478 1.573 4.377
17 9.91 9.97 0.497 1.245 4.048
18 10.43 10.35 0.518 1.111 3.734
19 11.47 11.31 0.569 0.994 3.085
20 11.78 11.81 0.591 0.891 2.866
21 12.41 12.34 0.619 0.801 2.613
23 13.41 13.4 0.671 0.652 2.222
25 14.22 14.28 0.714 0.535 1.964

1/T2 (s-2)

8.0
y = 2.281x + 0.8856
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
-4
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 B (×10 T)

From graph we have: slope β = (2.281 ± 0.063) ×104 s-2/T

intercept β BH = 0.886 ± 0.076 s-2
The value of Earth’s magnetic field is
0.8856
BH = = 0.39 × 10−4 T = 0.39 ± 0.04 G
2.281×104
⎛ L2 r 2 ⎞
The magnetic moment of magnet is m = β 2 4π 2 M ⎜ + ⎟ = 1.68 ± 0.09 A m2
⎝ 12 4⎠
Experimental competition Solution: Problem 1

28 April 2009 Page 4 of 4

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b) Earth’s magnetic field only
Time for 30 oscillations: 36.28, 36.25, 36.24 s.
Averaged period TE = 1.209 ± 0.001 s

1 1
BH = = = 0.30 ± 0.01 G
TE β
2
1.21 × 2.281× 10−4
2

c) Coil’s magnetic field and Earth’s horizontal magnetic field are in opposite directions
The equilibrium (neutral) position x0 = 31.0 ± 0.2 cm.

⎡ ⎤
⎢ ⎥
⎛ μ0 a 2iN ⎞ ⎢ 1 ⎥
BH = ⎜ ⎟⎢ ⎥ = 0.31 ± 0.01 G
⎝ 2π ⎠ ⎢ ⎛ 2 ⎛ a ⎞2 ⎞ ⎛a⎞
2
⎥
x +
⎢ ⎜⎜ 0 ⎜⎝ 2 ⎟⎠ ⎟⎟ 0 x 2
+ 2 ⎜ ⎟ ⎥
⎣⎝ ⎠ ⎝2⎠ ⎦

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