General Physics 2

BCNHS 2023-2024
General Physics 2 Lecture Notes
Review:
Magnets
1. Magnets have two poles, a north pole, and a south pole,
which interact with each other through magnetic forces of
attraction and repulsion.
2. Magnetic fields surround magnets and can exert forces on
other magnetic materials or charged particles in motion.

Differences between Electric and Magnetic Forces

1. Electric forces act on charged particles, whether they are at
rest or in motion, while magnetic forces only act on charged http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/magnetic/magfor.html
particles when they are in motion.
2. Electric forces act along the direction of the electric field, When the magnetic force relationship is applied to
while magnetic forces act perpendicular to both the velocity of a current-carrying wire, the right-hand rule may be used to
the charged particle and the magnetic field. determine the direction of force on the wire.
3. Electric forces can work on charged particles and change
their kinetic energy, while magnetic forces do not work on
charged particles and do not change their kinetic energy.
4. Electric forces are stronger than magnetic forces in
everyday situations. For example, the force between two
charged objects is typically much stronger than the force
between two magnets.
5. Electric forces can be attractive or repulsive, depending on
the charges of the objects involved, while magnetic forces are
always either attractive or repulsive, depending on the
orientation of the magnetic poles.

I. Magnetic Field From the force relationship above it can be deduced that the
units of the magnetic field are:
A magnetic field is a region in space where a ⃗ = 𝑇𝑒𝑠𝑙𝑎 (𝑇) = (𝑁∗𝑠) or 𝑁
𝐵
magnetic force can be detected. It is created by moving 𝐶∗𝑚 𝐴∗𝑚
electric charges or by magnetic materials. Magnetic fields can 1 T = 10, 000 Gauss
be represented by field lines that show the direction and The Gauss, is a unit of measurement of magnetic induction,
strength of the field. also known as magnetic flux density.
II. Lorentz Force Law
- Hendrik Lorentz, 1895
Recall that an electric field surrounds any stationary
or moving electric charge. In addition to an electric field, the - defined as the combination of the magnetic and electric
region of space surrounding any moving electric charge also force on a point charge due to electromagnetic fields
contains a magnetic field. A magnetic field also surrounds any
magnetic substance. Lorentz force formula for the charged particle:
𝐹 = 𝑞(𝐸 + 𝑣 ∗ 𝐵)
Lorentz force formula for continuous charge distribution:
𝑑𝐹 = 𝑑𝑞(𝐸 + 𝑣 ∗ 𝐵)
Where,
• F is the force acting on the particle
• q is the electric charge of the particle
• v is the velocity
• E is the external electric field
The equation F = qv x B represents the magnetic • B is the magnetic field
force on a charged particle moving through a region with a • dF is a force on a small piece of the charge
magnetic field. In this equation, F represents the magnetic • dq is the charge of a small piece
force, q represents the charge of the particle, v represents the
velocity of the particle, and B represents the magnetic field.
The cross product of qv and B determines the direction of the
magnetic force.

Other implications of the formula:

1. The force is perpendicular to both the velocity v of the

charge q and the magnetic field B.

2. The magnitude of the force is F = qv*B*sin θ where θ is the

angle < 180 degrees between the velocity and the magnetic
field. This implies that the magnetic force on a stationary
charge or a charge moving parallel to the magnetic field is
zero.

3. The direction of the force is given by the right hand. The

force relationship above is in the form of a vector product.
General Physics 2
BCNHS 2023-2024
General Physics 2 Lecture Notes
II. Motion of Charged Particles in a Magnetic Field IV. Magnetic Force on a Current-Carrying Conductor

The magnetic force on a charged particle moving Calculating the Magnetic Force
through a region with a magnetic field is always perpendicular Electric current is an ordered movement of charge. A
to the velocity of the particle. The magnetic force therefore current-carrying wire in a magnetic field must therefore
changes the direction of the velocity but not the magnitude of experience a force due to the field.
the velocity or speed. The motion of a charged particle under Refer to the illustration below. The length and cross-
the action of a magnetic field alone is always motion with sectional area of the section are dl and A, respectively, so is
constant speed. Therefore, magnetic forces do not exert work its volume V = A*dl. The wire is formed from a material that
on particles and do not change their kinetic energy. contains n charge carriers per unit volume, e is the charge of
an electron, so the number of charge carriers in the section is
Magnetic force can cause a charged particle to move ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ the
nA*dl. If the charge carriers move with drift velocity 𝑽𝒅
in a circular or spiral path. Cosmic rays are energetic charged current, I in the wire is:
particles in outer space, some of which approach the Earth. 𝑰 = 𝒏𝒆𝑨𝒗𝒅
They can be forced into spiral paths by the Earth’s magnetic
field (causing the southern or northern lights). Protons in giant 𝒆𝒗𝒅 ∗ ⃗𝑩
The magnetic force on any single charge carrier is ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗ , so
accelerators are kept in a circular path by magnetic force.
the total magnetic field ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝒅𝑭 on the nA*dl charge carriers in the
section of the wire is:
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗𝒅 ∗ ⃗𝑩
𝒅𝑭 = (𝒏𝑨 ∗ 𝒅𝒍)𝒆𝒗 ⃗
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ,
We can define dl to be the vector length dl pointing along 𝑽𝒅
which allows us to have:
⃗⃗⃗⃗ ∗ 𝑩
⃗⃗ = 𝒏𝒆𝑨𝒗𝒅 𝒅𝒍
𝒅𝑭
To determine the magnetic force (𝐹) on a wire:
⃗𝑭 ⃗⃗⃗⃗ ∗ ⃗𝑩
⃗ = 𝑰𝒅𝒍 ⃗
Energetic electrons and protons, components of cosmic rays, from the
Sun and deep outer space often follow the Earth’s magnetic field lines
rather than cross them.

An infinitesimal section of current-carrying wire in a magnetic

field.

A negatively charged particle moves in the plane of the page in a

region where the magnetic field is perpendicular to the page
(represented by the small circles with x’s—like the tails of arrows).
The magnetic force is perpendicular to the velocity, and so velocity
changes in direction but not magnitude. Uniform circular motion
results.

Here, the magnetic force supplies the centripetal

force Fc = mv2/r. Noting that sin θ = 1, and To determine the magnetic force (𝐹) on a wire of arbitrary
that F = qvB. Because the magnetic force F supplies length and shape:
the centripetal force Fc, we have ⃗𝑭
⃗ = 𝑰𝒍 ∗ ⃗𝑩
⃗
𝒎𝒗𝟐 This is the force on a straight, current-carrying wire in a
𝒒𝒗𝑩 = uniform magnetic field.
𝒓
Solving r yields:
𝒎𝒗
𝒓=
𝒒𝑩
Period of circular motion:
𝟐𝝅𝒓
𝑻=
𝒗
r = radius
m = mass of the particle
v = velocity
q = charge
B = magnetic field
T = period