General Physics II

Force Due to Magnetic Fields and

Sources of Magnetic Fields
 Overview
For this week’s lesson, we will begin by understanding the different ideas
and concepts that are in the scope of magnetic fields and its sources.
Specifically, we will be studying the following:
Specifically, we will be studying the following:
 Magnetic fields
 Motion of charge particles in electric and magnetic fields
 Magnetic forces on current carrying wires
 Biot-Savart Law
 Ampere’s Law
 Magnets
Magnets are commonly found in everyday
objects, such as toys, hangers, elevators,
doorbells, and computer devices.
Experimentation on these magnets shows that
all magnets have two poles: One is labeled
north (N) and the other is labelled south (S).
Magnetic poles repel if they are alike (both N
or both S), they attract if they are opposite
(one N and the other S), and both poles of a
magnet attract unmagnetized pieces of iron.
 Interactions of Magnetic Fields and Magnetic Force

Just like electric charges, a magnetic pole exists as

either a north-seeking pole or a south-seeking pole.
These poles are commonly known as the north pole and
the south pole of a magnet. How they interact with one
another is also similar to how electric charges interact.
Like poles repel, and unlike ones attract each other. The
repulsion and attraction are caused by the magnetic
force that exists between magnetic poles.
Interactions of Magnetic Fields and Magnetic Force
 Magnets

However, magnetic poles cannot exist in isolation

like electric charges. A negative charge can exist by
itself as well as a positive charge. On the other hand, a
north pole will always have a corresponding south pole
in the same magnet. Breaking a magnet in half will only
produce a smaller magnet with both a north pole and a
south pole.
Magnets
 Magnetization and Demagnetization
Magnets can be demagnetized by
hammering, heating, and being exposed to
an alternating current. These techniques
involve mixing up the arrangement of
molecules to cancel the polarity of the entire
material. However, molecules can be
rearranged again through magnetization,
thus bringing back the material’s overall
polarity. A demagnetized magnet can be
magnetized again by exposing it to another
magnet with a strong magnetic field.
 Charged Particles in a Magnetic Field
When charged particles are in motion, a
magnetic field is formed around it, and these
particles can be subjected to a magnetic interaction.
On the other hand, if these particles are at rest.
They cannot be affected by any magnetic field. The
motion of a charged particle depends on the EMF
that made it move. Considering the moving charged
particles as an electric current, recall from Ohm’s
law that current is directly proportional to the
voltage. This implies that a greater amount of EMF
causes a faster movement for the charged particles.
And because this EMF acts as a force applied to the
charge, it is also directly proportional to the
acceleration experienced by the charged particles.
 Charged Particles in a Magnetic Field
A cyclotron is an apparatus that can set
charged particles into motion so that these particles
can be subjected to an arbitrary magnetic field. In a
cyclotron, the charged particle moves along a
circular path that moves outward from the center.
As the charge moves, it continuously accelerates.
This acceleration is then directly proportional to the
radius of the cyclotron. This means that the speed of
the charged particles increases at the cyclotron’s
radius widens. Cyclotron frequency is related to the
number of revolutions that the charge will undergo
as it moves in the cyclotron.
 Magnetic Field and Ampere’s Law

When like poles are placed right next to each other,

there will be strong repulsion between the two. But as
we separate the poles, the repulsion weakens until it
becomes negligible. This can lead us to infer that there
is a region around a magnetic pole where the magnetic
force can affect other magnetic poles. This region is the
magnetic field.
 Magnetic Field and Ampere’s Law

Mathematically, magnetic field is generally computed

using the equation:

In this equation, is the magnetic field, is the magnetic

force, is the electric charge forming the magnetic field, is
the velocity of the charge, and is the angle formed
between the path of the moving charge and the magnetic
field. The unit to measure magnetic field is Tesla .
 Magnetic Field and Ampere’s Law

A very important principle in the study of magnetism

is Ampere’s law. This law shows the relationship
between the flowing current through a loop of
conductor and the net magnetic field produced in the
loop. It generally states that “whenever current passes
through at conductor, a magnetic field is produced
around it.”
 Magnetic Field and Ampere’s Law

At this point, there are two main

quantities being associated with
magnetism – the current that flows and
the magnetic field that it produces. Both
of these quantities are vectors, so their
directions must be considered. The
direction of these quantities is determined
using the right hand rule. Using your right
hand, position your thumb and the rest of
your fingers as if you were grasping a wire.
 Magnetic Field and Ampere’s Law

When the right hand rule is

done correctly, your thumb will
point to the direction of the
current. If there is a wire, your
thumb aligned along it indicates
the direction of the current, and
the “curl” of your fingers around
the conductor represents the
direction of the magnetic field.
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
The magnetic field along a straight current-carrying
conductor forms concentric circles around the wire. It is
computed using the following equation:

In this equation, is the magnetic field, I is the current in

the wire, is the perpendicular distance from the side of the
wire, and is the permeability of free space. Its value is .
Moving away from the electrical conductor decreases the
magnetic field strength.
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
Example 1:
What is the value of a magnetic field in air at a point
that is from a long straight wire carrying a current of ?
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
Solution:
Using the equation, we have:

The magnetic field at the said point is

approximately .
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
Recall that within the magnetic field, the magnetic force
from a magnetic pole can be experienced. This magnetic
force is quantified using the equation:

In this equation, is the magnetic force, is the current that

produces the magnetic field, is the length of the straight
wire where the current is flowing, is the magnetic field, and
is the angle between the wire and the magnetic field.
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
The right-hand rule is a good aid in
identifying the direction of the
magnetic force. The thumb points to
the direction of the charge or the
direction of conventional current (from
the positive terminal to the negative
terminal). Also, the four fingers point
to the direction of the magnetic field
and the palm points to the direction of
the magnetic force.
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
Example 2:
Two parallel wires and are apart and carry currents
of and , respectively, as shown in the figure below.
What is the force on a wire if the currents are parallel?
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
Solution:
The field experienced by wire from wire is directed into the
page bears a value that is computed as follows:

On a wire, the force due to this field is given by:

Wire experiences a force of approximately from wire that

carries a magnetic field.
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
Example 3:
Suppose you have two straight wires that are
parallel to each other and separated by a distance of .
One of these wires carry a current of , and the other
one carries . What is the magnitude and the direction of
the force that the magnetic field of the first wire applies
to a second wire when the currents are in the same
and in the opposite directions?
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
Solution:
At the second wire, the magnetic field created by
the first wire is:

Using this value, the magnetic force experienced by

the second wire from the first wire is calculated as
follows:
 Magnetic Field Due to One or More Straight Wire
Conductors
This shows that the magnitude of the magnetic force that the first wire
exerts on the second wire is approximately , regardless of the direction of the
currents in both wires.
Using the right-hand rule, if both currents are in the same direction, their
magnetic fields will be oppositely directed. This implies that the wires will
experience a force of attraction.
On the other hand, still using the right-hand rule, if both currents flew in
opposite directions, their magnetic fields will propagate in the same direction.
This implies that the wires will experience a force of repulsion.
 Magnetic Field along the Axis of Circular Current Loop

Suppose you have a conductor and you form it into a

loop. If you allow current to flow through this looped
conductor, an associated magnetic field will be formed by
virtue of Ampere’s law. The direction of the magnetic field
can be identified using the right-hand rule. Applying the
rule, your thumb points to the direction of the
conventional current, and your four fingers curl to show the
direction of the magnetic field of a current-carrying loop.
Magnetic Field along the Axis of Circular Current Loop
 Magnetic Field along the Axis of Circular Current Loop

The magnetic field present along the axis or the center

of a circular current loop is mathematically determined
using the equation

In this equation, is the magnetic field, is the number of

turns of the wire forming the current loop, is the current
in the loop, and is the radius of the loop. See the figure on
the next slide to see the magnetic field of a solenoid.
 Magnetic Field along the Axis of Circular Current Loop

Example:
A flat, circular loop has 20 turns. The radius of the
loop is 10.0 cm and the current through the wire is 0.50
A. Determine the magnitude of the magnetic field at
the center of the loop.
 Magnetic Field along the Axis of Circular Current Loop

Solution:
Magnetic Field along the Axis of Circular Current Loop
 Magnetic Field along the Axis of Circular Current Loop

Example 4:
A straight wire carries a current of . To its right is a
circular loop of wire with a radius of carrying a current
of . Suppose that the thicknesses of the wire are
negligible, find the magnitude of the net magnetic field
of the loop.
 Magnetic Field along the Axis of Circular Current Loop

Solution:
The magnetic field from the straight wire is
computed as follows:

The magnetic field from the loop of wire is

computed as follows:
 Magnetic Field along the Axis of Circular Current Loop

Because of the fields due to the wire and the loop are
directed oppositely, we have:

The net magnetic field at the center of the loop is

approximately .
 Biot-Savart Law

Another principle that relates the flow of current to

the formation of the magnetic field is the Biot-Savart
law. Its mathematical statement involves the use of
mathematical differentials because the current is
expected to change as it flows through a conductor.
Recall that Ampere’s law stated that every moving
charge produces a corresponding magnetic field.
 Biot-Savart Law

The Biot-Savart law provides a more specific analysis

of magnetic fields by considering the current that
produces the magnetic field as varying, which is the
case in reality. The formula is as stated below:

where is the angle between and . Notice that if , then .

The field produced by a current element has no
component parallel to .
 Biot-Savart Law
Example 5:
A short wire of length carries a current of in the vertical direction, as
shown in the figure below. The rest of the wire is shielded so it does not add
to the magnetic field produced by the wire. Calculate the magnetic field at
point P, which is from the wire in the x-direction.
 Biot-Savart Law

Solution:
The angle and is calculated using trigonometry, knowing the
distances and from the problem:

The magnetic field at point is calculated using the Biot-Savart

law:

The magnetic force is .