1

5. Magnetic Field
1. Magnetic Field
We can imagine a magnetic field surrounding a magnet in much the same way that we did for
electrical charges.
• One of the biggest differences is that electrical charges can be isolated from each other (a negative
charge can be sitting all alone), while magnetic poles must come in pairs (north and south)
• Did You Know?
There are some theories in modern physics that indicate that it should be possible (even
though never been done) to isolate a north pole from a south pole. The dipoles would become
monopoles.

2. Similarities and differences

Magnetic Fields Gravitational Fields Electric Fields
Strong field Weakest of all fields Strong field.
Not directly calculated in Physics Calculated using an Calculated using an
(although we do measure it indirectly) inverse square law (Newton's inverse square law
Universal Law of Gravitation) (Coulomb's Law)
Attraction or Repulsion Always attraction Attraction or
Repulsion.
Directly related to the magnet Directly related to the Directly related to
involved masses involved the charges involved
Individual poles can never be Individual masses are Individual charges
separate from each other separate from each other are separate from each other
Follows inverse square law near Follows inverse Follows inverse
the magnet but follows an inverse cubed square law so that the field square law so that the field
law further away so that the field becomes exponentially weaker becomes exponentially
becomes exponentially weaker as as separation increases weaker as separation
separation increases increases.
• Magnetic field exerts force on a charge particle
• Some facts about the magnetic force
a) From a point P, a charged particle can move in any direction or along any line. Along one of these
possible lines, if the charge is moving, there is no magnetic force. Magnetic force is defined to be
acting along this line.
b) The magnitude of the magnetic force is proportional to the product of speed of the charged particle 𝑣𝑣
and 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠, 𝜃𝜃 being the angle the speed makes with the line along which magnetic field is acting. Hence
magnetic force is proportional to |𝑣𝑣 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠|.
c) The direction of the magnetic force is perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field as well as
to direction of the velocity.
d) The magnetic force is also proportional to the magnitude of charge 𝑞𝑞.
e) Its direction is different and opposite for positive and negative charges.
Magnetic force can be defined mathematically as
𝐹𝐹⃗ = 𝑞𝑞𝑣𝑣⃗ × 𝐵𝐵
�⃗
�⃗ from the rules of the vector product.
Equation uniquely determines the direction of magnetic field 𝐵𝐵

• Characteristics of the Force

 2

A magnetic field can create a force on an object. However, for the object to feel a force, and the
magnetic field to affect the object, three things must be true

1. The object must have an electric charge.

2. The charged object must be moving.
3. The velocity of the moving charged object must have a component that is perpendicular to the
direction of the magnetic field.
• Units of magnetic field
The SI unit of magnetic field is 𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛/𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 − 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚. It is written as 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇.
𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 is 𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛/𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 − 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚. Tesla is also defined as 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤/𝑚𝑚².
Another unit in common use is 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔 .
1 𝑇𝑇 = 104 𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔𝑔
• We have magnetic field of the order of 10−5 near the earth's surface.
• Superconducting magnets can create a magnetic field of the order of 10 𝑇𝑇.
• Earlier, the concept of magnetic field was referred to as magnetic induction.

3. Electromagnetic field
Electric field and magnetic field are not basically independent. They are two aspects of same entity
electromagnetic field. Whether the electromagnetic field will show up as an electric field or a magnetic field
or a combination depends on the frame from which we are looking at the field.
Note: We represent magnetic field vectors like that as arrows. But all we see is either the tip of the
arrow ⊙, if the field is coming out of the page, or the tail of the arrow, ⊗, if the field is going into the page.
4. Motion of a Charged particle in a uniform magnetic field
Magnetic force on a charged particle is perpendicular to its velocity. Hence there will not any change
in its speed or kinetic energy.

The magnetic force will deflect the particle without changing speed and in a uniform field,
the particle will move along a circle perpendicular to the magnetic field. The conclusion is that, the magnetic
force provides centripetal force.
If r be the radius of the circle, then
𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚²/𝑟𝑟
 3

(LHS is the expression for magnetic force and RHS is expression mass × acceleration)
𝑟𝑟 = 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚/𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞
The time taken to complete the circle is
𝑇𝑇 = 2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋/𝑣𝑣 = 2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋/𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞
The time period or time taken to complete one circle is independent of speed. But the radius depends
on 𝑣𝑣. Hence if speed increases, the radius is larger.
Frequency of revolutions is
𝜈𝜈 = 1/𝑇𝑇 = 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞/2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋
This frequency is called cyclotron frequency.
• Helical Paths
If the velocity of charge is not perpendicular to the magnetic field, the resultant path will be a helix.
The radius of the path will be determined by velocity component which is perpendicular to the magnetic field.
If 𝜙𝜙 is the angle between 𝑣𝑣 and 𝐵𝐵, then there are two components of velocities

(i) 𝑣𝑣 sin 𝜙𝜙 perpendicular to magnetic field B this component provides circular motion about B
(ii) 𝑣𝑣 cos 𝜙𝜙 parallel to the magnetic field B this component provides motion of translation
The radius of helix
𝑚𝑚 (𝑣𝑣 sin 𝜙𝜙 )2
= 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞 sin 𝜙𝜙
𝑟𝑟
 4

𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 sin 𝜙𝜙
or 𝑟𝑟 =
𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞

The time taken to complete one revolution is

2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋 2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋
𝑇𝑇 = =
𝑣𝑣 sin 𝜙𝜙 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞
T is independent of 𝑟𝑟, 𝑣𝑣 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝛼𝛼.
2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋
∴ Pitch 𝑝𝑝 = 𝑣𝑣 cos 𝜙𝜙 . 𝑇𝑇 = 𝑣𝑣 cos 𝜙𝜙 .
𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞
2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋
or Pitch 𝑝𝑝 = 𝑣𝑣 cos 𝜙𝜙 . = 2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋 cot 𝜙𝜙
𝑣𝑣 sin 𝜙𝜙
5. Magnetic Force on a current carrying wire

In a current carrying wire, electrons, which are charge carrying particles are moving and hence in a
magnetic field, a current carrying conductor would experience magnetic force.

If a straight wire of length 𝑙𝑙 carrying a current 𝑖𝑖 is placed in a uniform magnetic field B, then the force
on it is
𝐹𝐹⃗ = 𝑖𝑖𝑙𝑙⃗ × 𝐵𝐵
�⃗
The quantity 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 denotes current element of length of 𝑙𝑙.
6. Torque on a current loop
If there is a rectangular loop carrying current 𝑖𝑖 in a uniform magnetic field B then net torque acting on the
loop is
Г = 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 sin 𝜃𝜃
Where, 𝑖𝑖 = current in the loop
𝐴𝐴 = area
B = magnetic field
𝜃𝜃 = the angle of inclination of the loop with the plane perpendicular to the plane of magnetic field.
We can also define
�Г⃗ = 𝑖𝑖𝐴𝐴⃗ × 𝐵𝐵
�⃗
𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 can be termed as 𝜇𝜇 the magnetic dipole moment or simply magnetic moment of the current loop. If there
are 𝑛𝑛 turns in the loop, each turn experiences a torque.
The net torque is
�Г⃗ = 𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝐴𝐴⃗ × 𝐵𝐵 �⃗
𝜇𝜇⃗ = 𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛𝐴𝐴⃗
7. Lorentz force:
A moving charge in presence of a magnetic field 𝐵𝐵 �⃗ and electric field 𝐸𝐸�⃗ experiences a force
⃗ ⃗ ⃗ �⃗ �⃗
𝐹𝐹 = 𝐹𝐹𝑒𝑒 + 𝐹𝐹𝑚𝑚 = 𝑞𝑞𝐸𝐸 + 𝑞𝑞𝑣𝑣⃗ × 𝐵𝐵
⇒ 𝐹𝐹⃗ = 𝑞𝑞(𝐸𝐸�⃗ + 𝑣𝑣⃗ × 𝐵𝐵
�⃗)
If Lorentz force is zero then 𝐸𝐸�⃗ should be ⊥ to 𝐵𝐵�⃗ and 𝐹𝐹⃗𝑒𝑒 = −𝐹𝐹⃗𝑚𝑚 and resultant field is called crossed
field.
Case I:
When 𝑣𝑣⃗, 𝐸𝐸�⃗ and 𝐵𝐵
�⃗ all the three are collinear:
In this situation as the particle is moving parallel or anti parallel to the field (i.e., 𝜃𝜃 = 0 ͦ or 180 ͦ), the
magnetic force on it will be zero and only electric force will act and so
𝐹𝐹 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞
𝑎𝑎 = =
𝑚𝑚 𝑚𝑚

Hence the particle will pass through the field following a straight line path with change in speed.
 5

Case II:
When 𝑣𝑣⃗, 𝐸𝐸�⃗ and 𝐵𝐵
�⃗ are mutually perpendicular:

In this situation if 𝐸𝐸�⃗ and 𝐵𝐵

�⃗ are such that
𝐹𝐹
𝐹𝐹⃗ = 𝐹𝐹⃗𝑒𝑒 + 𝐹𝐹⃗𝑚𝑚 = 0 i.e., 𝑎𝑎 = = 0 or cross field
𝑚𝑚

�⃗.
The particle will move undeflected perpendicular to 𝐸𝐸�⃗ and 𝐵𝐵