Heinemann Physics 12(3e)

Copyright Pearson Education Australia 2008 Teachers Resource and Assessment Disk
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) I SBN 9781442501263
1
Worked solutions
Chapter 9 Magnets and electricity

9.1 Fundamentals of magnetism

1 A magnetic field exists at any point in space where a magnet or magnetic material (e.g. iron,
nickel, cobalt) will experience a magnetic force.

2 C. The magnetic force between the poles of a magnet is inversely proportional to the distance
between the poles. Unlike poles attract.

3 B. The magnetic field of the Earth points up and northward in the southern hemisphere.

4 A. Repeatedly cutting a magnet in half will eventually reveal the basic atomic structure of the
magnet.

5 C. Soft iron is only magnetic when in a magnetic field. Its domains orient to the same direction
as the field but become random again when the field is removed.

6 While in a magnetic field a magnet will be subjected to forces that produce a torque that will
tend to align the magnet with the field.

7 a North as the Earths field is far stronger.
b North-east as the two fields are of equal strength and add vectorially to give a north-east
field.
c East as the magnets field is far greater than the Earths.

8 a Point A is closer to the left-hand magnet, so its east-directed field will be stronger
than the west-directed field from the other magnet. Thus the net field will point east.
b At point C the situation is reversed and the net field would point west.

9 At point B the two fields will be equal in magnitude but point in opposite directions. So the net
field from the magnets will be zero, leaving only the Earths north directed field.

10 a Magnet X produces a strong east-directed field. The field from Y will be negligible.
b This time magnet Ys field is far stronger and so the net field will point north.
c A vector addition of a field B east plus a field !3B gives a field 30 east of north (tan 30
= !3).

11 Vector addition (using Pythagoras) of a field 4B east plus 3B north produces a field 5B in a
direction 53 east of north.

Worked solutions Chapter 9 Magnets and electricity

Heinemann Physics 12(3e)
Copyright Pearson Education Australia 2008 Teachers Resource and Assessment Disk
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) I SBN 9781442501263
2
9.2 The first discoveries

1 The direction of the field around a current is determined by the right-hand screw rule. In this
case the thumb points into the page and the fingers will curl clockwise, indicating a field that
points east at A, south at B, west at C and north at D.

2 Using the right-hand palm rule, the thumb points out of the page and the fingers will curl
anti-clockwise, so the fields are west at A, north at B, east at C and south at D.

3 Use of the right-hand palm rule, fingers up the page, thumb down into the page, indicates that
the force on the current is to the east.

4 The thumb points up out of the page and so the force is to the west.

5 a The right-hand screw rule gives us a south-pointing field at P from conductor m.
b A north-pointing field at P from conductor n.
c The resultant magnetic field due to the conductors is zero. The only field in existence at
that point would be that due to the Earth, whose direction is north.

6 Only at point R can the resultant fields from the currents point south, thus giving the possibility
of cancelling the Earths north field.

7 a At P the field is south as before.
b This time the field at P is reversed and is pointing south also.
c The two fields add to produce a larger south field at P, provided the currents are strong
enough to overcome the Earths north field.

8 a The field at n due to m is south. Application of the right-hand palm rule then gives a force
on n to the west.
b With current n out of the page, the force is to the east. Note that the force between
parallel currents is towards each other, while that between opposite currents is away from
each other.

Worked solutions Chapter 9 Magnets and electricity

Heinemann Physics 12(3e)
Copyright Pearson Education Australia 2008 Teachers Resource and Assessment Disk
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) I SBN 9781442501263
3
9.3 Currents, forces and fields

1 a As the fields are at right angles, F = IlB = 80 ! 100 ! 5 !10
5
= 0.40 N upwards (from the
right-hand palm rule).
b If I is 50 A west instead of 80 east, we get 0.25 N down.

2 The weight of the power line is 500 N, which far outweighs the tiny magnetic force (0.50 N on a
100 A current) by a factor of 1000 (1000 : 1)!

3 B is the correct answer. Although the angle of the power line has changed, it is still at right
angles to the Earths north field.

4 For this question, the current is at right angles to the field, and so we use F = IlB. The direction
of the force is determined by the right-hand palm rule.
a F = 2 ! 0.05 ! 2 ! 10
3
= 2 ! 10
4
N north
b F = 1 ! 0.05 ! 2 ! 10
3
= 1 ! 10
4
N south

5 For these questions I = F/lB, the direction being given by the right-hand palm rule.
a F = 3.0 ! 1 ! 10
3
! 0.5 = 1.5 ! 10
3
N west
b F = 3.0 ! 1 ! 10
3
! 1.0 = 3 ! 10
3
N east

6 For these questions I = F/lB, the direction being given by the right-hand palm rule.
a I =
3
3
8 10
2 10 0.10
!
!
"
" "
= 40 A into the page
b I =
2
3
2 10
2 10 0.50
!
!
"
" "
= 20 A out of the page

7 a F/l = BI = 4 ! 10
3
! 5 = 2.0! 10
2
N m
1
west
b F/l = BI = 4 ! 10
3
! 5 = 2.0! 10
2
N m
1
east

8 a F/l = BI = 1 ! 10
3
! 2 = 2.0 ! 10
3
N m
1
north-east
b F/l = BI = 1 ! 10
3
! 1 = 1.0 ! 10
3
N m
1
south-west

9 The direction would be north, from the right-hand screw rule around current N.

10 For each of these, we use F = IlB sin .
a F = 1 ! 10
3
! 2 ! 10
3
! 1 ! 10
3
! sin 90 = 2.0 ! 10
9
N
b F = 10 ! 5 ! 10
2
! 1 sin 0 = 0 N
c F = 5 ! 1 ! 10
3
! 0.1 ! sin 30 = 2.5 ! 10
4
N
Worked solutions Chapter 9 Magnets and electricity

Heinemann Physics 12(3e)
Copyright Pearson Education Australia 2008 Teachers Resource and Assessment Disk
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) I SBN 9781442501263
4
9.4 Magnetic fields around currents, magnets and atoms

1 Using the right-hand screw rule and gripping the loop with our thumb pointing along the wire in
the direction of the current, we find our fingers pointing into the loop, so the field in (a) is into
the page.

2 The field in (b) is out of the page.

3 As many field lines must go through the loop as return all around the outside of the loop. Thus
the lines are more concentrated inside the loop that is, the flux density (or field) is stronger
inside. Another way of looking at it is that while the field from any point of the current is in the
same direction inside the loop, anywhere outside the loop the field from opposite sides of the
loop is in opposite directions and so tends to cancel.

4 a Only the external field B remains.
b Now the coil produces a field of 2B, which when added to the external field gives 3B.
c The field due to the loop and the external field are equal but in opposite directions. Thus
the net field is zero.

5 If the force is north, the field must be to the right that is, end A is a north end of the solenoid.

6 The field, and therefore the force, reverses and so the force is south.

7 The force is south.

8 A will increase the field as it is proportional to the current. B will not (as copper is not
magnetic). C will increase the field as the iron becomes magnetised and adds to the field.

9 B and C. They both produce a field that concentrates at the ends, or poles, of the solenoid or
magnet. A is incorrect as the field around a current is circular with no concentration at poles.

10 C. The others are three of the few metals that are ferromagnetic.

Worked solutions Chapter 9 Magnets and electricity

Heinemann Physics 12(3e)
Copyright Pearson Education Australia 2008 Teachers Resource and Assessment Disk
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) I SBN 9781442501263
5
9.5 Forces on moving charges

1 C is the correct answer. The magnetic force on a moving charged particle is given by F = qvB.
Mass does not appear in this equation.

2 A is the correct answer. The force is proportional to the perpendicular component of the field (F
= qvB sin ).

3 a From the right-hand rule, the force is down the page (south).
b The particle will follow path C.

4 A is the correct answer. As the force is always at right angles to the motion, the speed, and thus
the kinetic energy, will not be affected.

5 a The force is north.
b The particle will follow path A.

6 A particle that does not carry an electric charge, e.g. a neutron

7 C and D. Remember that a negative charge moving to the right is equivalent to a positive charge
(or current) moving to the left as far as the right-hand rule is concerned.

8 A and B

9 a The right-hand rule gives down (south) as the direction.
b As F = qvB:
i 2F as v has doubled.
ii 2F as B has doubled.
iii 4F as both v and B have doubled.

10 a Because it has twice the charge, the force will be double (2F, north).
b Because the mass is so much greater, the curvature of the path will be very much less
that is, R will be large (from F = mv"/R).

Worked solutions Chapter 9 Magnets and electricity

Heinemann Physics 12(3e)
Copyright Pearson Education Australia 2008 Teachers Resource and Assessment Disk
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) I SBN 9781442501263
6
9.6 Electric motors

1 As the current is perpendicular to the field, F = IlB = 2 ! 5 ! 10
2
! 0.1 = 1.0 ! 10
2
N into
the page.

2 The magnitude is the same as for PS (1.0 ! 10
2
N), but the direction is out of the page.

3 There is no force on PQ as it is parallel to the field.

4 The force on R in diagram (b) is up and that on S is down, giving an anticlockwise rotation.

5 D will affect the direction of turning but not the magnitude of the torque involved. The
dimensions, field strength and current all affect the torque ( = F ! r, where r is the turning
radius).

6 a The right-hand palm rule gives a downward force on L
1
.
b The right-hand palm rule gives a an upward force on M
1
.

7 These torques will rotate the coil anticlockwise.

8 The forces will still be in the same directions. For part a, the answer is down; for part b, up; but
for part c, there will be zero torque as the lever arm, r, is zero in this case.

9 C. Reversing the current will reverse the force on each arm, thus producing a downward force
on M and upward on L. Once past the vertical, this will produce another anti-clockwise torque
to keep it rotating.

10 The commutator reverses the direction of the current through the coil of the motor at a particular
point. This enables the resultant torque on the coil at that point to keep the motor rotating in a
constant direction.

Worked solutions Chapter 9 Magnets and electricity

Heinemann Physics 12(3e)
Copyright Pearson Education Australia 2008 Teachers Resource and Assessment Disk
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) I SBN 9781442501263
7
Chapter review

1 Use the right-hand screw rule to show that the current needs to be:
a into the page
b out of the page
c out of the page
d out of the page.

2 If the field due to the current just balances the 50 T north field due to the Earth, the field due
to the current must be equal to 50 T (that is, 5.0 ! 10
5
T) south.

3 The current must be into the page (right-hand screw rule).

4 The field will be equal to that of the Earth and in the same direction, thus giving a 100 T (that
is, 1.0 ! 10
4
T) north field.

5 The current I out of the page will produce a 50 T west field. In combination with the Earths
field, this will produce a 50 ! !2 = 71 T (7.1 ! 10
5
) field pointing north-west.

6 The field from the current at C would be west and so the combined field would be north-west.

7 C is the correct answer. The field at B will change from a 100 T north field to a zero field, and
so the change is 100 T south.

8 In each case the force is found from F = IlB as the field is perpendicular to the current.
a F = 1 ! 10
3
! 5 ! 10
3
! 1 ! 10
3
= 5.0 ! 10
9
N into the page (from the right-hand rule)
b F = 2 ! 1 ! 10
2
! 0.1 = 2.0 !10
3
N into the page
c F = 5 ! 10 ! 10
3
! 1 = 5.0 !10
3
N into the page

9 The right-hand rule gives a force:
a out of the page
b into the page.

10 A current parallel to a magnetic field does not experience a magnetic force.

11 For part a, a current into the page at m produces a south-pointing field at n (right-hand screw
rule). Thus conductor n, also with a current into the page, will experience a westward force
(right-hand palm rule). In general, two parallel currents experience an attractive force towards
each other. Similarly, currents in opposite directions experience a force away from each other.
So part b is also attractive, while part c is repulsive.

12 If m and n carry parallel currents, the fields cancel each other in the centre. Therefore there is
zero force on a third conductor placed there.

13 Both conductors produce a 1 T field south at P, giving a total of 2 T. The force on the third
conductor is thus F = IlB = 1 ! 1 ! 2 = 2.0 N m
1
(to the west).

14 In this case the field between m and n from both conductors is south and so cannot cancel. The
field outside the conductors may cancel if the currents are adjusted appropriately. Therefore
both B and C are correct.

15 B
Worked solutions Chapter 9 Magnets and electricity

Heinemann Physics 12(3e)
Copyright Pearson Education Australia 2008 Teachers Resource and Assessment Disk
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) I SBN 9781442501263
8

16 B. Using the right-hand rule gives direction of the field, which must be into the page for B
Y
.
Since the amount of deflection is the same, the force on each electron beam is equal, and since
magnetic fields and charges are also equal, i.e. v
1
= v
2
(F = Bqv).

17 C. The right-hand rule tells us that X must be positive and Z must be negative, while Y must be
neutral as it experiences no magnetic force.

18 F = IlB = 1.0 ! 0.50 ! 0.20 = 0.10 N

19 The current is flowing clockwise around the circuit that is, from Y to W and thus the force
on that section is up. The coil will rotate anti-clockwise as seen from the front.

20 D. As F = IlB, the coil will experience more force, and rotate faster, if the current and field
strength are increased. Therefore A and B are correct. Whether C is correct will depend on how
the area is increased. But if the length in the field is increased, we would expect it to turn faster.
If widened, it will experience more torque but that may not make it turn faster.