Chapter 30 - Magnetic

Fields and Torque

A PowerPoint Presentation by
Paul E. Tippens, Professor of
Physics
Southern Polytechnic State
2007
University

Objectives: After completing

this module, you should be
able to:

Determine the magnitude and

direction of the force on a currentcarrying wire in a B-field.
Calculate the magnetic torque on a
coil or solenoid of area A, turns N,
and current I in a given B-field.
Calculate the magnetic field induced
at the center of a loop or coil or at
the interior of a solenoid.

Force on a Moving Charge

Recall
Recall that
that the
the magnetic
magnetic field
field BB in
in teslas
teslas (T)
(T) was
was
defined
defined in
in terms
terms of
of the
the force
force on
on aa moving
moving
charge
charge::
Magnetic
Field
Intensity B:

FF
BB
qv
qvsin
sin
11NN
11NN
11TT

C(m/s)
C(m/s) AAm
m

B
v

B
v

Force on a Conductor
Since aa current
current II is
is charge
charge qq moving
moving through
through aa
Since
wire, the
the magnetic
magnetic force
force can
can be
be given
given in
in terms
terms
wire,
of current.
current.
of
x x x x x x x x
Right-hand rule:
Motion
F
x x x x x x x x
force F is
of +q
x x x x x x x
upward.
I = q/t
x x x x Lx x x x
= qvB
qvB
FF =
Since v = L/t, and I = q/t,
we can rearrange to find:

F q B
t

The force F on a conductor of

length L and current I in
perpendicular B-field:

q
LB

t
= IBL
IBL
FF =

Force Depends on Current

Angle

Just as for a moving

F B
charge, the force on a
B
wire varies with

v
sin

direction.
v
I
= IBL
IBL sin
sin
FF =
Current I in wire: Length

L
Example 1. A wire of length 6 cm makes an angle
of 200 with a 3 mT magnetic field. What current is
needed to cause an upward force of 1.5 x 10-4 N?
F
1.5 x 10-4 N
I

BL sin (3 x 10-3T)(0.06 m) sin200

II =
= 2.44
2.44 AA

Forces on a Current Loop

Consider
Consider aa loop
loop of
of area
area AA=
= ab
ab carrying
carrying aa
current
current II in
in aa constant
constant BB field
field as
as shown
shown
below.
below.
B
Normal
b
F
n
x x x x x x
vector
x x x x x x
1
A
x
x x x x x
Ix x x
N
S
x
x
a
x
x
x
x
x

x
x
x
x
x

x
x
x
x
x

x x
x x x
x x
x x x
x x x

Torque

F
2

The
The right-hand
right-hand rule
rule shows
shows that
that the
the side
side forces
forces
cancel
cancel each
each other
other and
and the
the forces
forces FF11and
and FF22 cause
cause aa
torque.
torque.

Torque on Current Loop

Recall that torque is product of force and moment
arm.
The moment
a sin
b
F
2
1
x x x x
arms for F1 and
n
x x x x
Iout a
a sin
2
a x x I x x F2 are:
x

x x x
x x x x

F1 = F2 = IBb

1 ( IBb)( a 2 sin )
2 ( IBb)( a 2 sin )

sin

X Iin
F2

2( IBb)( a 2 sin ) IB(ab) sin

IBA
IBAsin
sin

In general, for a loop of N

turns carrying a current I, we
have:

NIBA
NIBAsin
sin

Example 2: A 200-turn coil of wire has a

radius of 20 cm and the normal to the
area makes an angle of 300 with a 3 mT Bfield. What is the torque on the loop if the
N = 200 turns
current
is 3 Asin
?
NIBA
NIBA sin
n

A R 2 (.2 m) 2
A = 0.126 m2; N = 200
turns 0
B = 3 mT; = 30 ; I = 3
A

B = 3 mT; = 300

NIBA sin (200)(3 A)(0.003T)(0.126 m ) sin 30

Resultant torque on loop:

= 0.113 Nm

Magnetic Field of a Long

Wire
When
When aa current
current II passes
passes through
through aa long
long straight
straight
wire,
wire, the
the magnetic
magnetic field
field BB is
is circular
circular as
as is
is shown
shown
by
by the
the pattern
pattern of
of iron
iron filings
filings below
below and
and has
has the
the
indicated
indicated direction
direction..
I

Iron
filings

The
The right-hand
right-hand
thumb
thumb rule:
rule: Grasp
Grasp
wire
wire with
with right
right hand;
hand;
point
point thumb
thumb in
in
direction
direction of
of II.. Fingers
Fingers
wrap
wrap wire
wire in
in direction
direction
of
of the
the circular
circular B-field.
B-field.

Calculating B-field for Long

Wire
The
The magnitude
magnitude of
of the
the magnetic
magnetic field
field BB at
at aa
distance
distance rr from
from aa wire
wire is
is proportional
proportional to
to current
current
II..
Circular
00II
Magnitude of B-field
BB
B
for current I at
22rr
I
distance r:
The proportionality constant is
called the permeability of free
B
r
space:
Permeability:
Tm/A

= 4x 10-7

Example 3: A long straight wire carries

a current of 4 A to the right of page.
Find the magnitude and direction of the
B-field at a distance of 5 cm above the
B=?
r
wire.
00II
r = 0.05 m
BB
5 cm
I=4A
I=4A
22rr
(4 x 10-7 TAm )(4 A)
B
2 (0.05 m)
Right-hand
Right-hand
thumb
thumb rule:
rule:
Fingers
Fingers point
point out
out
of
of paper
paper in
in
direction
direction of
of BB-

-5
BB =
= 1.60
1.60 xx 10
10-5 TT or
or 16
16
T
T

B out
of
paper

r I=4A

Example 4: Two parallel wires are

separated by 6 cm. Wire 1 carries a
current of 4 A and wire 2 carries a
current of 6 A in the same direction.
What is the resultant B-field at the
00Iwires?
midpoint between
the
BB I
2
I2 = 6 A
2

r
2 r
6A
3 cm
B into
3 cm

B=?
I1 = 4 A

B1 is
positive
B
is
2

negative
Resultant is
vector sum: BR =
B

paper
B1 out
of
paper

4A

Example 4 (Cont.): Find resultant B at

midpoint.
(4 x 10-7 TAm )(4 A)
B1
26.7 T
2 (0.03 m)
I2 = 6 A
3 cm
3 cm

B=?
I1 = 4 A

00II
BB
22rr
B1 is
positive
B
is
2

negative

(4 x 10-7 TAm )(6 A)

B2
40.0 T
2 (0.03 m)
Resultant is vector sum: BR =
B
BR = 26.7 T 40 T = -13.3
T
BR is into paper: B = -13.3
T

Force Between Parallel

Wires

Recall wire with

I1 creates B1 at P:

00II11
BB11
22dd

P
d

F
2

I2
d I1

Out of paper!
Now suppose another wire with current I2 in same
direction is parallel to first wire. Wire 2 experiences
force F2 due to B1.
I2
From right-hand rule, Force
Force FF22
B
what is direction of
is
is
F2?
F2
Downwar
Downwar
dd

Parallel Wires (Cont.)

Now start with wire
2. I2 creates B2 at
P:
I

BB22 00 I22
22dd

B2 into paper

2
d

I2
d F
I1
x1 P

INTO
paper!
Now the wire with current I1 in same direction is
parallel to first wire. Wire 1 experiences force F1 due
to B2.
F1
From right-hand rule, Force
F
Force F11
B
what is direction of
is
is
I1
F1?
Upward
Upward

Parallel Wires (Cont.)

We
We have
have seen
seen that
that
two
two parallel
parallel wires
wires
with
with currents
currents in
in the
the
same
same direction
direction are
are
attracted
attracted to
to each
each
other.
other.
Use
Use right-hand
right-hand
force
force rule
rule to
to show
show
that
that oppositely
oppositely
directed
directed currents
currents
repel
repel each
each other.
other.

Attractio
n
F
I2
2F
I1
1

Repulsio
n
d

I1
F
1

F2
I2

Calculating Force on Wires

The field from current
in wire 2 is given by:

00II22
BB22
22dd

2
d
1

Attractio
n
F
I2
2F
I1
1

The force
L
FF11 =
II11BB22LL
=
F1 on wire 1
is:
0 I 2
The same equation results
F1 I1
L

when considering F2 due to

2

B1
FF 00II11II22
The
force
per
unit
length
The force per unit length

for
LL 22dd
for two
two wires
wires separated
separated
by
by dd is:
is:

Example 5: Two wires 5 cm apart carry

currents. The upper wire has 4 A north
and the lower wire has 6 A south. What
is the mutual force per unit length on
FF 00II11II22
the wires?
Upper wire

2
LL 22dd
I
=
4
A
F
2
d=5 cm2F
I1 = 6 A
1
1
L
Lower wire

I1 = 6 A; I2 = 4 A; d = 0.05
m
Right-hand rule applied to
either wire shows
repulsion.

F (4 x 10-7 TAm )(6 A)(4 A)

L
2 (0.05 m)

F
9.60 x 10-5 N/m
L

Magnetic Field in a Current

Loop

Right-hand
Right-hand rule
rule shows
shows BB
field
field directed
directed out
out of
of
center.
center.

B
Out

Singl
e
loop:

0 I
B
2R

Coil of
N
loops:

0 NI
B
2R

The Solenoid
AA solenoid
solenoid consists
consists of
of
Permeability
many
many turns
turns NN of
of aa wire
wire
N
in
in shape
shape of
of aa helix.
helix. The
The
magnetic
magnetic B-field
B-field is
is
similar
similar to
to that
that of
of aa bar
bar
magnet.
magnet. The
The core
core can
can
be
be air
air or
or any
any material.
material.
-7
IfIf the
the core
core is
is air:
air:

4
4 xx 10
10-7Tm/A
Tm/A

The relative permeability r uses this value as a

comparison.

The
The relative
relative
rr
or
rr00
or
permeability
00
permeability for
for aa
medium
medium (( rr ):):

The B-field for a Solenoid

For
For aa solenoid
solenoid of
of length
length
LL,, with
with NN turns
turns and
and
current
current II,, the
the BB-field
-field is
is
given
given by:
by:

NI
BB NI
LL

Solenoid
L
N

Such
Such aa BB-field
-field is
is called
called the
the magnetic
magnetic induction
induction
since
since itit arises
arises or
or is
is produced
produced by
by the
the current.
current. ItIt
applies
applies to
to the
the interior
interior of
of the
the solenoid,
solenoid, and
and its
its
direction
direction is
is given
given by
by the
the right-hand
right-hand thumb
thumb rule
rule
applied
applied to
to any
any current
current coil.
coil.

Example 6: A solenoid of length 20 cm

and 100 turns carries a current of 4 A.
The relative permeability of the core is
12,000. What is the magnetic induction
N = 100
of
I =the
4 A;coil?
N = 100
20 cm
turns
L = 0.20
m;

turns

r 0

(12000)(4 x107

T m
A

0.0151 TAm

(0.0151 TAm )(100)(4 A)

B
0.200 m

I=4A

BB =
= 30.2
30.2
TT

AA ferromagnetic
ferromagnetic core
core can
can significantly
significantly increase
increase the
the BBfield
field !!

Summary of Formulas
The
The force
force FF on
on aa
wire
wire carrying
carrying
current
current II in
in aa given
given
B-field.
B-field.
= IBL
IBL sin
sin
FF =

F
n
1

S
B

F
2

B
I sin

B
v

Current I in wire: Length

L
The
The torque
torque on
on aa loop
loop or
or
coil
coil of
of NN turns
turns and
and
current
current II in
in aa B-field
B-field at
at
known
known angle
angle ..

NIBA
NIBAsin
sin

Summary (Continued)
AA circular
circular magnetic
magnetic field
field BB is
is
induced
induced by
by aa current
current in
in aa wire.
wire.
The
The direction
direction is
is given
given by
by the
the rightrighthand
hand thumb
thumb rule
rule..
The magnitude
0 I
B
depends on the
2 r
current I and the
distance r from the
wire.
-7
Permeability:

=
4

x
10
Permeability: = 4x 10-7 TTm/A
m/A

Circular
B

X
I

Summary (Continued)
The force per unit length
for two wires separated
by d is:
Singl
e
loop:

0 I
B
2R

Coil of
N
loops:

For a solenoid of length

L, with N turns and
current I, the B-field is
given by:

F 0 I1 I 2

L
2 d

0 NI
B
2R
NI
B
L

CONCLUSION: Chapter 30
Torque and Magnetic Fields