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IB Physics 2

Forces, Fields and Energy

IB Course Companion: Ch 10

MAGNETS AND MAGNETIC FIELDS IB COURSE COMPANION, CH 5, PP. 227 - 239


5. Draw the pattern of magnetic field lines of an isolated bar magnet.
Magnetic field lines represent the direction of a force exerted on the North
SS
pole of a magnet
Since like poles repel, this means that magnetic field lines will point away
from the North pole of a magnet (the way another north pole would move)
and towards the South pole of a magnet
Magnetic poles do not exist in isolation -- whenever we observe a North
pole it is always accompanied by a South pole. Magnets exist as dipoles
(two poles). There is no theoretical reason why we shouldn't observe a
N
N
magnetic monopole, we have just never found one.
6. Moving charges give rise to magnetic fields.
In addition to permanent magnets, an isolated moving charge will create a
magnetic field. Similarly a current (many moving charges in a conductor) will also produce a magnetic field
pattern that surrounds the current.
7. Draw and annotate magnetic fields due to currents.
These include fields around a straight wire, a flat circular coil and a solenoid. Students should recognize that the
magnetic field pattern of a solenoid is similar to that of a bar magnet.
The magnetic field due to an electric current can be found using the "Curled Right Hand"
Rule - point the thumb of the right hand in the direction of conventional current in
the wire and the fingers of the right hand will curl around the wire in the direction
I
of the magnetic field -- since there is no isolated pole, the magnetic field lines around a
current have no beginning and no end -- they form continuous circles around the wire
A flat circular coil is an application of the "Curled Right Hand" Rule as well. By
bending the wire into a loop, the magnetic field lines that surround the wire are
concentrated in the center of the loop. At any point around the loop, point the thumb of
the right hand in the direction of current flow and the fingers will curl around the wire in
the direction of the magnetic field.
Taking a coil and giving it some length turns it into a solenoid -- the field lines curl around the entire solenoid, but
because of its extended length, it stretches the circles into ovals leaving a field pattern identical to that of a bar
magnet. In addition, there is a neat trick that will enable you to always determine which end of the solenoid coil
acts as the north pole and which end acts as the south pole.
Solenoid coil cut in
half - large block
arrow is current

End-on view of the


solenoid - the ends of the
letters point in the
direction of current flow

MAGNETIC FORCES IB COURSE COMPANION, CH 5, PP. 227-239


8. Determine the direction of the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.
9. Determine the direction of the force on a charge moving in a magnetic field.
In both cases, you can use the "Open Right Hand Rule" to determine the direction of the force
There are three mutually perpendicular directions defined by the open hand -- the direction represented by the
thumb, the direction represented by the fingers, and the direction that the palm faces
The force exerted on a moving charge in a magnetic field is determined by the vector product between the velocity
vector and the magnetic field vector -- this product is defined to be perpendicular to the plane that contains both of
these vectors. So, here's how it works --B
1. Point the thumb of the right hand in the direction of conventional current (the
F
way a single positive charge is moving or opposite the way a single negative
charge is moving)
I
2. Point the fingers of the open right hand in the direction of the magnetic field
vector (away from North poles and towards South poles)
3. The palm of the open right hand will face in the direction of the force on the
current or moving charge
10. Define the magnitude of the magnetic field strength B.
This can be defined in terms of the force acting either on a current-carrying conductor or on a moving charge.
The force acting on a moving electric charge is used to define the magnetic field strength as follows:

IB Physics 2 Forces, Fields and Energy


F = qvB sin

where q is the amount of charge, v is the speed of the charge, B is the magnetic field
strength and is the angle between the velocity vector and magnetic field direction
The force acting on a current carrying wire is used to define the magnetic field strength as follows:
F = ILB sin
where I is the amount of current flowing, L is the length of wire influence by the
magnetic field, B is the magnetic field strength and is the angle between the
direction of the current and the magnetic field direction
Note that if v or I is parallel to B, then the angle = 0 and the force will be 0 as well. There must be some
component of charge motion perpendicular to B to produce a force.

11. Solve problems involving the magnetic forces on currents and moving charges.
Students should be able to calculate the force for situations where the velocity is not perpendicular to the magnetic
field direction. Apply the two equations above.
A special case: if a moving charge enters a region of uniform magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to the
magnetic field direction, then the charge will experience a force that is perpendicular to its velocity. This force will
not change the speed of the charge, only the direction in which it travels. Further, the force will remain
perpendicular to the velocity, with the net result being circular motion. Combining the force relation between the
charge's speed and the magnetic field strength AND the relation for centripetal forces produces some interesting
results.
12. Solve problems involving the magnetic field strength around a straight wire.
The magnetic field around a current carrying wire will vary with distance from the wire. One of Maxwells four
equations (Amperes Law) allows us to predict this field. The math associated with this is beyond the scope of this
class, so we will just state the result.
B = oI / 2R
In this equation, R represents the distance (in a radial sense) from the wire. Since the magnetic field forms a circle
centered on the wire, R is the radius of this circle. I represents the current in the wire and B is the magnetic field
strength. Unlike electricity and gravity, the magnetic field varies as 1/R instead of 1/R 2. The constant o is a
measure of the ability of a material to sustain a magnetic field it is called the permeability of the material. Since
we typically are talking about a wire in air, the constant we use is o, the permeability of free space. It has the
value o = 4 x 10-7 TmA-1. These units produce a magnetic field unit of Tesla (T).
13. Solve problems involving the magnetic field strength within a solenoid.
Students should be aware that B depends on the nature of the solenoid core.
Consider a solenoid coil with an overall length of L that contains a total of N turns of wire. A turn is one complete
circle. The wire contains a current I. Applying Amperes Law gives the following result: B = oNI / L
If we were to place something other than air inside the coil, e.g. an iron bar, then the value of the constant will
change based on the ability of the material to sustain a magnetic field.
Solenoid coils are useful because if we stay away from the end of the coil and near the axis that passes through the
center, we have a uniform magnetic field.

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