Ben Gurion University of the Negev

www.bgu.ac.il/atomchip
Week 6. The magnetic field and the Lorentz force Magnetic fields
magnetic force on a moving charge Lorentz force charges and
currents in a uniform B field torque on a current loop
Source: Halliday, Resnick and Krane, 5
th
Edition, Chap. 32.
Lecturer: Daniel Rohrlich
Teaching Assistants: Oren Rosenblatt, Shai Inbar
Physics 2B for Materials and Structural Engineering
Magnetic fields

A combination of bar magnets and iron filings matches the
pretty diagram shown on the right
Magnetic fields

A combination of bar magnets and iron filings matches the
pretty diagram shown on the right
Magnetic fields

Combinations of bar magnets and iron filings match these
pretty diagrams

Magnetic fields

Combinations of bar magnets and iron filings match these
pretty diagrams But these diagrams show to configurations
of the electric field E. Are there identical configurations of the
magnetic field B?
Magnetic fields

Yes, there are! Except for one big difference:
Magnetic fields

Yes, there are! Except for one big difference: There are no
magnetic charges no magnetic monopoles only magnetic
dipoles.
Magnetic fields

Yes, there are! Except for one big difference: There are no
magnetic charges no magnetic monopoles only magnetic
dipoles.

This difference is remarkable and even surprising, for at least
two reasons:

1. Magnetic monopoles would make electromagnetism more
symmetric electricity and magnetism would be dual.
Magnetic fields

Yes, there are! Except for one big difference: There are no
magnetic charges no magnetic monopoles only magnetic
dipoles.

This difference is remarkable and even surprising, for at least
two reasons:

1. Magnetic monopoles would make electromagnetism more
symmetric electricity and magnetism would be dual.

2. Theories that unify electromagnetism with the weak and
strong nuclear forces predict magnetic monopoles. But recent
searches for these magnetic monopoles have not found any.
The magnetic force on a moving charge

The relation between the electric field E and the electric force
F
E
on a point charge q is a simple one: F
E
= q E.
The magnetic force on a moving charge

The relation between the magnetic field B and the magnetic
force F
B
on a point charge q is more complicated: F
B
= q vB ,
where v is the velocity of the moving charge.
The magnetic force on a moving charge

The relation between the magnetic field B and the magnetic
force F
B
on a point charge q is more complicated: F
B
= q vB ,
where v is the velocity of the moving charge.

The force is proportional to q, including the sign of q.
The force is proportional to B.
The force is proportional to v.
When B and v are parallel, the force vanishes.
When B and v are not parallel, the force is perpendicular
to both of them, according to the right-hand rule:
Right-hand rule (for a positive charge q):
F
B

v
B
The magnetic force on a moving charge

The relation between the magnetic field B and the magnetic
force F
B
on a point charge q is more complicated: F
B
= q vB ,
where v is the velocity of the moving charge.

The force is proportional to q, including the sign of q.
The force is proportional to B.
The force is proportional to v.
When B and v are parallel, the force vanishes.
When B and v are not parallel, the force is perpendicular
to both of them, according to the right-hand rule.
The force is proportional to the sine of the vB angle.
The magnetic force on a moving charge

Example 1: How much work is done by the magnetic force F
B

on the point charge q?
The magnetic force on a moving charge

Example 2: What are the units of the magnetic field B?
The magnetic force on a moving charge

Example 2: What are the units of the magnetic field B?

Answer: From the equation F
B
= q vB we infer that the units
of B are (force) / (charge meters per second); this unit is
known as the tesla (T):
.
m A
N

m/s
N/C
T

= =
The magnetic force on a moving charge

Example 3: The white arc in this picture is light showing a
beam of electrons in a uniform magnetic field. (The electrons
collide with a dilute gas of atoms, which then radiate light.)
Deduce the ratio e/m where m is the mass of the electron
from the radius r of the arc and the magnitudes B and v.
The magnetic force on a moving charge

Example 3: The white arc in this picture is light showing a
beam of electrons in a uniform magnetic field. (The electrons
collide with a dilute gas of atoms, which then radiate light.)
Deduce the ratio e/m where m is the mass of the electron
from the radius r of the arc and the magnitudes B and v.

Answer: To move at speed v in a circular orbit of radius r, an
electron must accelerate towards the center of the circle with
acceleration a = v
2
/r. This acceleration must equal the force F
B

on the electron divided by its mass m, hence a = F
B
/m = evB/m
and we have v
2
/r = evB/m, therefore e/m = v/Br.
The magnetic force on a moving charge

Example 4: We have just seen that a point charge in a constant
magnetic field moves in a circle. (More generally, it can move
in a helix.) What is the angular frequency of its motion?
The magnetic force on a moving charge

Example 4: We have just seen that a point charge in a constant
magnetic field moves in a circle. (More generally, it can move
in a helix.) What is the angular frequency of its motion?

Answer: The angular frequency is = v/r and we already
obtained v
2
/r = qvB/m (for a particle of charge q and mass m);
hence = qB/m. It is called the cyclotron frequency and it is
independent of r and v. A cyclotron exploits this independence
to accelerate many charged particles with different kinetic
energies at the same time, via an electric field alternating with
angular frequency . The kinetic energy of a particle increases
in the electric field, as do v and r, but is unchanged.
The magnetic force on a moving charge

A cyclotron exploits this independence to accelerate many
charged particles with different kinetic energies at the same
time, via an electric field alternating with angular frequency .
The kinetic energy of a particle increases in the electric field,
as do v and r, but is unchanged.
AC current
Fast particles out
Slow particles in
bottom of magnet
D
1

D
2

B
The magnetic force on a moving charge

Example 5: Confinement of a charged particle in a magnetic
bottle:











The magnetic field cannot change the speed of the charged
particle, but can change its direction.
Path of charged particle
The Lorentz force

We can combine F
B
and F
E
into the Lorentz force F
EM
, which
is the total electromagnetic force on a point charge q:



F
EM
= q ( E + v B ) .
The Lorentz force

Example 1 (Hall effect): In 1879, E. Hall discovered that a
magnetic field B normal to this conducting bar induces a
potential V
H
= v
drift
Bd that is perpendicular to the current and
to B. Why?
I
z
x
y
+

F
B

F
B

V
H
B
B
t
I
d
I
z
x
y
+

F
B

F
B

V
H
B
B
t
I
d
The Lorentz force

The magnetic field deflects electrons up, where they collect
and produce an upward electric field E = E . The electron
density there levels off when v
drift
B = E. Since E = V
H
/d, the
Hall potential is V
H
= v
drift
Bd. The direction of V
H
shows
that the charge carriers are indeed negatively charged.
z

I
z
x
y
+

F
B

F
B

V
H
B
B
t
I
d
The Lorentz force

From Slide 33 of Lecture 5 we have v
drift
= I/neA. Here A = td,
so v
drift
= I/netd and V
H
= v
drift
Bd = IB/net and n = IB/et V
H
.
Thus we can infer n from measurements of I, B, e, t and V
H
.
The Lorentz force

Example 2: Crossed electric and magnetic fields can serve as a
velocity selector. We have just seen, in the Hall effect, that the
electric and magnetic forces on a point charge balance when
the charge moves at the speed v such that E = vB. Only at this
speed will charges move straight; at other speeds, the Lorentz
force will deflect them.
E
B
Source
Slit
Halliday, Resnick and Krane, 5
th
Edition, Chap. 32, MC 3:

An electron is released at rest in a region of crossed uniform
electric and magnetic fields. Which path best represents its
motion after its release?


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B
E

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
field B Charges and currents in a uniform

Current in a wire is the motion of charges. Thus the magnetic
force on a current-carrying wire is due to magnetic forces on
all the charges in the wire.
field B Charges and currents in a uniform

Current in a wire is the motion of charges. Thus the magnetic
force on a current-carrying wire is due to magnetic forces on
all the charges in the wire.
Convention: B into page B out of page
I I
B B B
I = 0
field B Charges and currents in a uniform

Lets consider an arbitrarily short element s of a current-
carrying wire with cross-sectional area A. Its volume is
(A)(s), so it contains n (A)(s) conduction electrons moving
at average velocity v
drift
. Hence the magnetic force dF
B
on the
wire element is dF
B
= ev
drift
nA (s) B, which we can write as
dF
B
= I s B since I = ev
drift
nA.

The force F
B
on the whole wire is then an integral:
. B s F F = =
} }
d I d
B B
field B Charges and currents in a uniform

The formula for the force F
B
on the whole wire is especially
simple when B is uniform (constant over space) because then
we can take B out of the integral:



We consider two cases:
( ) . B s B s F F = = =
} } }
d I d I d
B B
B
B
ds
ds
L'
I
I
field B Charges and currents in a uniform

The formula for the force F
B
on the whole wire is especially
simple when B is uniform (constant over space) because then
we can take B out of the integral:



We consider two cases:
( ) . B s B s F F = = =
} } }
d I d I d
B B
field B Charges and currents in a uniform

If the integral is open, then it is just a vector sum over line
elements and equals the vector L' connecting the initial and
final points. Then F
B
= I L' B.
B
B
ds
ds
L'
I
I
field B Charges and currents in a uniform

If the integral is open, then it is just a vector sum over line
elements and equals the vector L' connecting the initial and
final points. Then F
B
= I L' B.

If the integral is closed, then L' vanishes and so does F
B
!
B
B
ds
ds
L'
I
I
I
B
B
ds
ds
L'
I
field B Charges and currents in a uniform

If the integral is open, then it is just a vector sum over line
elements and equals the vector L' connecting the initial and
final points. Then F
B
= I L' B.

If the integral is closed, then L' vanishes and so does F
B
!




In a uniform magnetic
field, the net magnetic
force on any closed
current loop is zero.
field B Charges and currents in a uniform

Example 1: Rank the magnitude of the magnetic force on these
four wires. (B and I are identical.)
Charges and currents in a uniform B field

Example 2: A magnetic field can levitate a current-carrying
wire. If L is the length of the wire, I is the current in the wire
and m is its mass, what should be the strength B of the
magnetic field (if we neglect all other forces)?







I
B
B
F
B

mg
Charges and currents in a uniform B field

Example 2: A magnetic field can levitate a current-carrying
wire. If L is the length of the wire, I is the current in the wire
and m is its mass, what should be the strength B of the
magnetic field (if we neglect all other forces)?

Answer: mg = ILB, so B = mg/IL.







I
B
B
F
B

mg
Torque on a current loop

A uniform magnetic field does not exert a force on a closed
current loop, but it can exert a net torque!

Here is a top view of a
rectangular current loop
lying in the plane of B.
Sides 1 and 3 do not
contribute; Sides 2 and
4 each contribute (IaB)
(b/2) to the torque , so
= IBab = IBA, where
A = ab is the area of the
rectangle.
B
a
b
I
2
3
1
4
Torque on a current loop

A uniform magnetic field does not exert a force on a closed
current loop, but it can exert a net torque!

Here is a side view of the
current loop, still lying in
the plane of B.

The torque is = IBab
but only for the instant
that the current loop is
parallel to B.
IBa
IBa
b/2
2
4
B
3
Torque on a current loop

A uniform magnetic field does not exert a force on a closed
current loop, but it can exert a net torque!

Here is a side view of the
current loop, now making
an angle 90 with the
plane of B. The torque now
is = IBa[b cos (90 )]
= IBa[b sin ] = IBA sin .
2
4
B
IBa
IBa

3
Torque on a current loop

A uniform magnetic field does not exert a force on a closed
current loop, but it can exert a net torque!

Here is a side view of the
current loop, now making
an angle 90 with the
plane of B. The torque now
is = IBa[b cos (90 )]
= IBa[b sin ] = IBA sin .

There are now also forces
on and but they do
not contribute to the torque.
1 3
2
4
B
IBa
IBa

3
2
4
B
IBa
IBa

3
Torque on a current loop

Whenever moves to the right of , the torque switches
direction. The area vector A always tends to line up with B.

Defining the magnetic
dipole moment of the
current loop to be = IA,
we can write = B.
2 4
A
Torque on a current loop

Whenever moves to the right of , the torque switches
direction. The area vector A always tends to line up with B.

If we integrate d' starting
from ' = 0, we get the work
due to the magnetic torque:






so the potential energy U of a magnetic
dipole in a field B is U = B.
2
2
4
B
IBa
IBa

3
A
, cos
' ' sin
'
B = =
=
=
}
}
u
u u
u t
IBA
d IBA
d W
B
4
Halliday, Resnick and Krane, 5
th
Edition, Chap. 32, Prob. 10:

In Bohrs model of the hydrogen atom, the electron moves in a
circle of radius r around the proton. Suppose the atom, with
the proton at rest, is placed in a magnetic field B perpendicular
to the plane of the electron motion. (a) If the electron moves
counterclockwise around B (seen from above), will its angular
frequency increase or decrease? (b) What if the electron
moves clockwise?
B

Halliday, Resnick and Krane, 5
th
Edition, Chap. 32, Prob. 10:

Answer: (a) For a circular orbit, the centripetal force must
equal ma = m(v
2
/r) = m
2
r. The magnetic force on the
electron increases the centripetal force, so m
2
r must increase.
But the angular momentum mr
2
cannot change (because the
forces are centripetal). Writing m
2
r as


we see that must increase.
B

,
2 2 / 1 2 / 3 2
e e e mr m r m =
Halliday, Resnick and Krane, 5
th
Edition, Chap. 32, Prob. 10:

Answer: (b) For a circular orbit, the centripetal force must
equal ma = m(v
2
/r) = m
2
r. The magnetic force on the
electron decreases the centripetal force, so m
2
r must decrease.
But the angular momentum mr
2
cannot change (because the
forces are centripetal). Writing m
2
r as


we see that must decrease.
,
2 2 / 1 2 / 3 2
e e e mr m r m =
B

Halliday, Resnick and Krane, 5
th
Edition, Chap. 32, Prob. 15:

A staple-shaped wire of mass m and width L sits in a uniform
magnetic field B, with its two ends in two beakers of mercury.
A pulse of charge q passing through the wire causes the wire
to jump to a height h. Given B = 0.12 T, m = 13 g, L = 20 cm
and h = 3.1 m, calculate q.





B B
L
Halliday, Resnick and Krane, 5
th
Edition, Chap. 32, Prob. 15:

Answer: The magnetic force F
B
(t) on the wire equals I(t)LB.
The wire acquires momentum p = F
B
(t) dt = I(t)LB dt = qLB
and kinetic energy p
2
/2m = mgh; solving for q, we obtain





B B
L
. C 4.2 2 = = gh
LB
m
q