Magnetic force

On current-carrying conductors
Between current-carrying conductors
 Application (cyclotron)
• When velocity of the charge is perpendicular
to magnetic field, what kind of motion is going
to take place?
• Circular.
• If so then the magnetic force is equal to
centripetal force given by F=mv2/r
A positive charge moving in a plane which is perpendicular to a uniform
magnetic field
The ’s represent field lines pointing into the page. A positively
charged particle of mass m and charge q is shot to the right with
speed v. By the right hand rule the magnetic force on it is up. Since
v is  to B,
F = FB = q v B. Because F is  to v, it has no tangential component;
it is entirely centripetal. Thus F causes a centripetal acceleration. As
the particle turns so do v and F, and if B is uniform the particle
moves in a circle. This is the basic idea behind a particle accelerator
like Fermilab. Since F is a centripetal force, F = FC = m v2 / R. Let’s
see how speed, mass, charge, field strength, and radius of curvature
are related:

FB = FC

 q v B = m v2 / R Note that the value for

q in this equation
mv should be the
 R= magnitude.
qB
 Application (cyclotron)
• Recall that mv=p, so this can be substituted in
the equations in the previous slide.
• Also the angular velocity of the particle can be
obtained using v=Rω so that ω=v/R
mv
 R =v/ω =
qB
(v)q B qB
ω= =
mv m
 Application (cyclotron)
The number of revolutions per unit time is the
frequency, which is independent of the radius,
given by angular velocity divide by the period
(T=2π) ω
f= 2π
This frequency is called the cyclotron frequency in
a particle accelerator called a cyclotron
 Application (cyclotron)
If the initial velocity of the charged particle is not
perpendicular to the B, the velocity component
parallel to the field is constant because there is no
force parallel to the field. The particle moves in a
helix whose radius is given by the same equation
as above but v is now the component of the
velocity normal to the field.
mv
 R=
qB
Motion of charged particles in a non-uniform magnetic
field is more complex.
 Motion of charge
• An electron of mass 9.11 × 10-31 kg and charge
1.6 × 10-19 C passes through a cathode ray
tube with a velocity of 3.7 × 107 m/s. It enters
a magnetic field of flux density 0.47 mT at a
right angle. What is the radius of curvature of
the path in the magnetic field?
 Motion of charge
• F = Bqv and F = mv2/r
• r = mv
Bq

r = 9.11 × 10-31 kg × 3.7 × 107 m/s

0.47 × 10-3 T × 1.6 × 10-19 C
• = 0.448 m
• = 45 cm
 Application (velocity selector)
• Charged particle enter a region of space
(vacuum) where the E and B field are
perpendicular to the particle’s velocity and to
each other.
• A pair charged plates produce a uniform
electric field between them
• Observe the following schematic diagram of a
velocity selector.
Application (velocity selector)
 Application (velocity selector)
• From the diagram notice that the magnetic
force is opposite the electric force. So it is
expected that the particle will deflect (up or
down) to the direction of the greater force.
• Only when the two forces are equal will the
particle move undeflected, that is;
E
 qE = qvB so that  v=
B
This is also called a crossed-field selector because of
the directions of the E and B fields
 Application (velocity selector)
• Only particles with speeds equal to E/B
without deflection by the fields hence by
adjusting E and B appropriately, particles with
specific speeds are selected and used for
desired purposes.
• Since q divides out in the above equation, a
velocity selector for positively charged
particles also works for negatively charged
particles.
 Application (velocity selector)
example
• He+ ions with a charge +e move at 1.00 x
105m/s in a straight line through a velocity
selector. Suppose the He+ ions are replaced
with He2+ ions in which both electrons have
been removed from the helium atom and the
ion charge is +2e. At what speed must the He2+
ions travel through the same velocity selector
in order to move in a straight line?
 Application (mass spectrometer)
• Atoms of a gas are ionized by electron
bombardment and the ions emerge from the
source through S₁.
• They are accelerated towards S₂ by a known
voltage V and enter the velocity selector
through S₂ in a narrow beam with a kinetic
energy.
KE=½mv2=qV
 Application (mass spectrometer)
• The selector blocks all ions except those with
speeds equal to v=E/B
• Finally the ions pass into a region with a
magnetic field B’ which is perpendicular to the
plane in which the charge is moving.
• Here they undergo circular motion with a
radius R given by: mv
 R=
q B’
Notice that ions of different masses will travel different paths.
 Application (mass spectrometer)
• The ions travel through a semicircle and strike
a detector (e.g. a photographic plate) at a
distance 2R from the plate.
• Using the other equations (kinetic energy,
radius) in the preceding slides, the following
equation is for mass of the ion(s) derived by
eliminating velocity:
qB2R2
 m=
2V
Application (mass spectrometer)
 RECAP FROM ELECTRICITY
A wire of length L and cross-sectional area A carrying a current I.
If there are n charges( each with charge q) per unit volume in the wire
Each charge in the wire is moving with velocity V d.

A vd

Then the number of charges in the wire = nAL

Total charge in wire = nqAL

But I=Q/t so the current in the wire is I = Total charge /time = nqAL/t

vd=L/t so that nqAL/t comes down to I=nqAvd

vd is called drift velocity

Current simply defined is the of flow of charge. This being the case the charge
moving in the wire will experience a magnetic force if placed in a magnetic field.
 Recall that F=qvB sinθ

Since the wire has a number of charges, the force on it must

include all the charges

F= total charge x velocity of the charges x magnetic field x sinθ

F= nqAL x vd x Bsinθ
But nqAvd = I so
F=ILBsinθ

If θ= 90° F=BIL
 Example
• A certain horizontal wire lying in the east-west
direction has a mass 0.18g per meter of its
length and carries a current I. The wire is in a
northward directed magnetic field of strength
0.5T.
a. Find the minimum amount of current I if the
magnetic force is to support the weight of the
wire. (g=10m/s2)
 Solution
• Force per unit length = BIL sin θ/L = BI sin θ
• For θ=45°, force = (0.5)(3.6 x 10-3) sin 45°
= 1.273 x 10-3N/m
• For θ=90°, force = (0.5)(3.6 x 10-3) sin 90°
=1.8 x 10-3N/m
 Solution
• Mass per unit length =1.8 x 10-4kg
• To support weight then
– magnetic force = weight
BIL sin θ = mg
• This balancing must be for every unit length
BI sin θ = mg/L
• Since the wire lies east-west and B is directed
north, then θ =90°.
 Solution
• BI = mg/L

mg
 I=
LB
(1.8 x 10-4kg/m) (10m/s2)
 I=
(0.5T)

 I = 3.6 x 10-3 A
 Example
b. Find the force per meter of the wire if it is
placed
– 45° to the field
– 90° to the field.