Module 7:

Magnetic Force

7-3
Review

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 Magnetic Field
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 Just like the electric force,
the magnetic force is
transmitted to objects by a
field. The magnetic field is
identified as:
𝐵
 Magnetic field lines will go
from North to South outside
of a bar magnet.

 Magnetic fields can be found

around permanent magnets
or charges in motion. Unit? The Tesla (T):
1 T = 1 N/(C m/s)
 Magnetic Force
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The magnetic force
 is perpendicular to the magnetic field
 is proportional to the charge of the
particle experiencing the force
 is proportional to the component of the
velocity of the particle perpendicular to
the magnetic field

𝑭𝑩 = 𝒒(𝒗 × 𝑩)
 Be careful with the direction of the force:
• If 𝒒 > 𝟎, the magnetic force is in the same direction as 𝒗 × 𝑩.

𝐹𝐵 = 𝑞 𝑣𝐵𝑠𝑖𝑛θ
• If 𝒒 < 𝟎, the magnetic force is in the opposite direction of 𝒗 × 𝑩.
 Directions in magnetism
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 We need to all have the same convention for

directions.
 We will use the following terms:

Left Right Up Down In Out

 Cross Product: Right-Hand Rule
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 Direction of the force
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 A proton is moving at a speed 𝑣 perpendicularly to

a magnetic field of magnitude 𝐵 (going in the board)
 In which direction is the force?
 What will be the effect of that force on the particle’s
motion?
 Quick questions
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 In which direction is the  Which path would the

magnetic force? particle follow?

+
 Motion of a charged
particle
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 If the particle has a velocity
perpendicular to the magnetic field, it
will start moving in a circle.
 The radius of rotation (using forces
and a Free-Body diagram!)

 An angular speed ( = v/r):

(Also known as the cyclotron frequency)

 And a period of:
 Motion when velocity is not
perpendicular to the magnetic field
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 Cyclotron Helix
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 The component of 𝑣Ԧ parallel to 𝐵 is

not affected by the field, so the
charged particle spirals around the
magnetic field lines in a helical
trajectory.
 The radius of the helix is determined
by 𝑣⊥ , the component of 𝑣Ԧ
perpendicular to 𝐵.
 The pitch s is the spacing between
two successive turns.
𝑠 = 𝑇𝑣∥
where 𝑇 is the period of rotation and
𝑣∥ is the component of 𝑣Ԧ parallel to 𝐵.
 Motion in a varying magnetic
field
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 Mass
spectrometer
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 A beam containing two different particles
of the same charge enter a mass
spectrometer at the same velocity.
The magnetic field has a strength of 0.5 T.
The particles move at a speed of 2x106 m/s.
The magnitude of their charge is e.
The period of the first particle is 130 ns.
And the second particle is 4 times heavier
than the first.

Determine
a) the sign of the charge
b) the masses of the particles
c) the radii of rotation
 Velocity selector for
the mass
spectrometer
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a) Give expressions for the

magnitudes and directions of the (i)
electric force and (ii) the magnetic
force on the charge 𝑞.
b) If the charge moves undeflected
through the plates, what can you
say about the forces described in
(a)?
c) Use (b), to find the speed at which
the charge can move through
undeflected. Call this speed the
critical speed vc.
d) What would happen to the trajectory
of the charge of it moved faster than
the critical speed?
 Quick Check
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 Which magnetic field (if it’s the
correct strength) allows the
electron to pass through the
charged electrodes without being
deflected?
 Example
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 A proton enters a region in which both a
uniform magnetic field and a uniform Region with uniform fields
electric field are present. The proton
moves in a straight line upwards at a
constant speed of 4.8 × 106 𝑚/𝑠. The
electric field has a magnitude of
6 × 104 𝑁/𝐶 and is to the right. 𝑣Ԧ
Gravity can be ignored.
a) Determine all the components of the
magnetic field that can be found.
b) If we increased the electric field’s
magnitude to 8 × 104 𝑁/𝐶 (magnetic field
and velocity stay the same), what would
be the proton’s acceleration and what
kind of trajectory would it follow?
 To summarize the
motion of a charged
particle in a B-field

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 Motion of charged particles
in a magnetic field 𝐹Ԧ𝐵 = 𝑞(𝑣Ԧ × 𝐵)
depending on velocity
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Parallel Perpendicular Parallel and

At rest (𝑣Ԧ = 0)
motion (𝑣Ԧ ∥ 𝐵) motion (𝑣Ԧ ⊥ 𝐵) perpendicular

Cross-product Force is Force is

No velocity
of zero perpendicular perpendicular
= no force
= no force to 𝑣Ԧ to 𝑣Ԧ⊥

Uniform helical
Uniform linear Uniform motion (linear ∥
Stays at rest
motion circular motion
𝐵, circular ⊥ 𝐵)

𝐵 𝐵

𝑣Ԧ

𝐹Ԧ𝐵 = 0 𝐹Ԧ𝐵 = 0
 What if there are
several charged
particles in motion?

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 Magnetic force on
current-carrying conductors
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 We know that moving charges are affected by the
magnetic field.
 What if there is more than one charge in motion at the
same time?
 All of them will be affected by that magnetic field:
 Force on a wire
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 Generally, the angle between a wire and the magnetic

field will be constant and we will be able to use the
following equation for the force:

𝐹Ԧ𝐵 = 𝐼 𝐿 × 𝐵
 In which 𝐿 has the magnitude of the length of wire in
the magnetic field and the direction of current.
 Example
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a. Determine the direction of net force on the loop, if any.

b. Determine the direction of force on each segment.

𝐼 𝑧
𝑥
 Quick check
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 In the picture, the “X”s

represent the direction
of the magnetic field. If
the wire is levitating, in
which direction must
the current flow?
a) From left to right
b) From right to left
c) No current is required
for this to happen.
 Force on a wire
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 When the angle is not constant, we have to use:

𝑑 𝐹Ԧ𝐵 = 𝐼 𝑑𝑠Ԧ × 𝐵
for each segment of length 𝑑𝑠.
 And for the total force acting on the wire:
𝑏
𝐹Ԧ𝐵 = 𝐼 න 𝑑 𝑠Ԧ × 𝐵
𝑎
 In a magnetic field …
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 We can simplify the last equation to:

𝑏
Ԧ
𝐹𝐵 = 𝐼 ‫𝑠 𝑑 𝑎׬‬Ԧ × 𝐵

 How is this simpler and what does it mean?

 The force on a curved wire is the same as the force on a
straight wire (with the same ends and with the same
current) in a uniform magnetic field
 The net force on a loop is zero for a closed wire in a
uniform magnetic field.
 Find the force on both segments
(straight segment and curved segment)
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 Next topic:
Sources
of Magnetic Fields

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