Electromagnetic force

Chapter 20
Magnetic effect of current
• The term "magnetic effects of current " means that " a current
flowing in a wire produces a magnetic field round it ".
• The magnetic effect of an electric current was discovered by Hans
Christian Oersted in 1820.
Who discovered Magnetic effect of current
• In 1820, Oersted discovered by accident that electric current creates
a magnetic field.
• Prior to that, scientists thought that electricity and magnetism were
unrelated.
• Oersted also used a compass to find the direction of the magnetic
field around a wire carrying current.
Source of magnetic fields
There are three sources of magnetic fields
•Current-carrying conductors.
•Permanent magnets.
•Electromagnets.
Direction of magnetic field
• Right hand thumb rule
• If a current carrying conductor is
held by right hand;
• By keeping the thumb straight,
the direction of electric current
is in the direction of thumb, and
the direction of wrapping of
other fingers will show the
direction of magnetic field.
Right hand thumb rule
Question no 1
• A steady current flows in a straight wire to the right.

Choose the correct magnetic field lines around the red point.
 Question 2
• A straight current-carrying wire generates a magnetic field around
it.
• What happens to the strength of the magnetic field when we move
closer to the wire?
• A Decreases.
• B Increases.
• C Does not change.
• D Not enough given information.
 Question 3
Hans positions a compass needle at several points around a straight wire. He discovers magnetic field lines that
are concentric circles, as shown below.

What can we say about the direction of the current in the wire?

A B

C. The wire is a permanent magnet with no current flowing in it.

 Properties of magnetic field
• The magnitude of magnetic field increases with increase in electric
current and decreases with decrease in electric current.
• The magnitude of magnetic field produced by electric current
decreases with increase in distance and vice-versa. The size of
concentric circles of magnetic field lines increases with distance from
the conductor, which shows that magnetic field decreases with
distance.
• Magnetic field lines are always parallel to each other.
• No two field lines cross each other.
 Magnetic field in a solenoid
• Solenoid consists of a length of insulated wire coiled into a cylinder
shape.
• Current in solenoid produces a stronger magnetic field inside the
solenoid than outside. The field lines in this region are parallel and
closely spaced showing the field is highly uniform in strength and
direction.
 Magnetic field in the solenoid

Current in solenoid produces

a stronger magnetic field
inside the solenoid than
outside. The field lines in this
region are parallel and closely
spaced showing the field is
highly uniform in strength and
direction
 Direction of magnetic field
• Right-hand rule can be used to find the
direction of the magnetic field.
• In this case, point the wrapped fingers (along
the coil) in the direction of the conventional
current. Then, the thumb will point to the
direction of magnetic field(north pole) within
the solenoid.
• Reversing the direction of the current reverses
the direction of the magnetic field.
 Question
• Suzy sets up a current in a
circular wire in the counter-
clockwise direction.Where is the
north pole of the magnetic field
produced by this current?

• A Above the loop.

• B Below the loop.
• C A current-carrying loop does
not have magnetic poles.
 Question
• A young Richard Feynman experiments with a
current-carrying solenoid, shown in figure.
• In this image, where is the north pole of the
current-carrying solenoid located?
• Choose 1 answer
• A Top.
• B Bottom.
• C A current-carrying solenoid does not have
magnetic poles.
• D Not enough information given.
 Question
• In an experiment, Messi sets up a circular wire through a
cardboard and runs a current in the clockwise direction, as
shown below.

• He sprinkles iron filings on the cardboard and taps it a few

times.What pattern of the iron filings does he observe?
Uses of Electromagnet
 Uses of electromagnet
For example, a very big relay is used in
cars for switching the starter motor,
because it draws a very big current.
2 opened the electromagnet stops
3
Low current circuit 1 High current circuit
1. When the switch in the low
current circuit is closed, it turns
the electromagnet on which
attracts the iron armature.
2. The armature pivots and closes
the switch contacts in the high
current circuit.
3. When the low current switch is
pulling the armature and the high
current circuit is broken again.
Questions from Book
Questions from Book
Fleming left hand rule
Force on a current carrying conductor inside
magnetic field
• When a conductor carrying a current is placed in a magnetic field, the
conductor experiences a magnetic force.
• The direction of this force is always right angles to the plane
containing both the conductor and the magnetic field, and is
predicted by Fleming’s Left-Hand Rule.
1. What is the direction of force in following
situations?
2. Find the direction of current if you already
know the force and Magnetic field direction.
3. find the direction of magnetic field in
following situations.
 Answers
• 1. (a) west (left) 2. (a) left (west) 3. (a) into page

• (b) into page (b) out of page (b) west (left)

(c) up or north (c) out of page

• (c) north (up)

• (d) no force

• (e) east (right)

• (f) south (down)

 Catapult effect
The interaction of two magnetic fields produces a magnetic field known as catapult field or catapult
effect.
 Motors
• Motors are the most common application of magnetic force on
current-carrying wires.
• Motors have loops of wire in a magnetic field.
• When current is passed through the loops, the magnetic field exerts
torque on the loops, which rotates a shaft
• . Electrical energy is converted to mechanical work in the process.
 Construction of motor
• It consists of coil of wire which
acts as an electromagnet when a
direct current flow through it
• Two magnets to provide a
steady magnetic field passing
through it
• Commutator
• Two brushes
• Power supply/battery
 Working of motor
When a current passes through the coil:
•The current creates a magnetic field around the coil,
•which interacts with the field of the magnets,
•exerting a force on the coil,
•in accordance with the left-hand rule
•This pushes one side of the coil up and the other side down,
causing it to spin.
Force on a coil inside a magnetic field
Force on a coil inside a magnetic field
Force on a coil inside a magnetic field
Force on a coil inside a magnetic field
Adding Commutator/split rings/slip rings
• Adding the commutator reverses the direction of the current
in the coil every half turn.
• This reverses the direction of the forces, which keeps the coil
spinning.
Working principle of motor
Working principle of motor
Working principle of motor
 Force and direction
The force supplied by a motor can be increased by:
1.Increasing the current in the coil.
2.Increasing the strength of the magnetic field.
3.Adding more turns to the coil

The direction of the motor may be reversed by:

1.Reversing the direction of the current.
2.Reversing the direction of the magnetic field.
 Summery of working of Motor
• Placing a coil of wire inside a permanent magnetic field and fixed so
it can freely rotate.
• Pass a current through the coil of wire and it will rotate to the
perpendicular position.
• Now reverse the current flow and the coil will spin 180 degrees.
• The brushes and the commutator does the switching directions of
the current through the coil at the appropriate moment to keep the
coil rotating in one direction.
• This is the basics of all electric motors.
FORCE ON A MOVING CHARGE IN A
MAGNETIC FIELD
• Magnetic force can cause a charged
particle to move in a circle.
• A negatively charged particle moves in
the plane of the page in a region
where the magnetic field is
perpendicular into the page .
• The magnetic force is perpendicular
to the velocity, and so velocity
changes in direction but not
magnitude. Uniform circular motion
results.
FORCE ON A MOVING CHARGE IN A
MAGNETIC FIELD
• Electrons move from left to right.
• Magnetic field is pointing
outwards.
• Using fleming's left hand rule, we
can determine the direction of
magnetic force.
• Infact, when a current carrying
conductor is placed in a
magnetic field, it is the electrons
that feel the force.
Book questions
question 1
Question 2
 Question 3
Use the right hand rules to show that the force
between the two loops in Figure 3 is attractive if
the currents are in the same direction and
repulsive if they are in opposite directions. Is
this consistent with like poles of the loops
repelling and unlike poles of the loops
attracting? Draw sketches to justify your
answers.
 Question 4

If you have three parallel wires in

the same plane, as in Figure 2,
with currents in the outer two
running in opposite directions, is it
possible for the middle wire to be
repelled by both? Attracted by
both? Explain.
 Exam tips
• Bigger magnets are not the same thing as stronger magnets (some big
magnets are very weak).
• Avoid referring to ‘bigger magnets’ and use the phrase ‘stronger
magnets’.
• Avoid saying ‘add more coils’.
• The correct phrase to use is ‘add more turns to the coil’.
• When answering long questions it is acceptable to use bullet points.