What Causes magnetism?

What is the origin of magnetic fields?

Electric charge in motion!
For example, a current in a wire loop produces
a field very similar to that of a bar magnet (as
we shall see).
Understanding the source of bar magnet field lies
in understanding currents at the atomic level
within matter
Orbits of electrons about nuclei

Intrinsic spin of
electrons (more
important effect)
 Earth is a big magnet!!
The North pole of a small
magnet (compass) points
towards geographic North
because Earths magnetic
South pole is up there!!
The Magnetism of the Earth

The earth is a huge magnet.

The magnetic pole that is in the

Earths northern hemisphere
known as a north magnetic pole
is really the south pole of the
earths magnetic dipole.
 Electric Currents Produce Magnetic
Fields
While giving a lecture to
introductory physics
students, Hans Oersted
noticed that a compass
needle twitched every
time that he turned on an
electric circuit. Further
experimentation showed
that a magnetic field was
produced whenever a
current flowed. The
diagrams to the right
show the shape of the
magnetic field for two
arrangements of wires.
 Bar Magnets
Two poles: north and south
Like poles repel
Unlike poles attract
Magnetic poles cannot be isolated

S N

Similar to dipole field from electrostatics

 Right Hand Rule
First point fingers in
direction of velocity
Curl fingers toward
B field
Thumb points
toward force

B
 Magnetic Force
A current consists of moving charges. Amperes experiment
implies that a magnetic field exerts a force on a moving charge. This
is true, although the exact form of the force relation was not
discovered until later in the 19th century. The force depends on the
relative directions of the magnetic field and the velocity of the
moving charge, and is perpendicular to both..

(
F= q v B

)

 Magnetic Force on Moving Charges
Properties of the magnetic force:
1. Only moving charges experience
the magnetic force. There is no
magnetic force on a charge at rest (
F= q v B )

(v=0) in a magnetic field.

2. There is no magnetic force on a
charge moving parallel (a=00) or
anti-parallel (a=1800) to a magnetic
field.
3. When there is a magnetic force, it
is perpendicular to both v and B.
4. The force on a negative charge is in
the direction opposite to v x B.
5. For a charge moving perpendicular
to B (a=900) , the magnitude of the
force is F=|q|vB.
 Electromagnetic Force
F
F is perpendicular to the plane
formed by v and B
the right-hand rule applies to q v
work out the direction of force B

q
Magnetic field defined by magnetic force
on a test charge
Force magnitude depends on direction of
v relative to B
F = qv B
v is parallel to B sin = 0
v is perpendicular to B sin = 1
v is at angle from B sin F = qvB sinq
Direction is perpendicular to B and v
Right hand rule
Magnetic Force on Current-Carrying Wire
Use the right-hand rule
F to find the direction of
the magnetic force.

B
I
F=BLI
F = Force (N)
B = Mag. Flux Density (T)
L = length(m)
I = Current (A)
 Units of the Magnetic Field
From the expression for force on a current-
carrying wire:
B = Fmax / I L
Units: Newtons/Am Tesla (SI unit)
Another unit: 1 gauss = 10-4 Tesla
Some sample magnetic field strengths:
Earth: B = 0.5 gauss = 0.5 x 10-4 T
Bar magnet: B 100 200 gauss
Strong electromagnet: B = 2 T
Superconducting magnet: B = 5 10 T
Neutron star: B 108 109 T
Magnetar: B 1011 T
 Reading Quiz
The magnetic force on a moving charged particle is:
(1) Perpendicular to the velocity
(2) Parallel to the velocity
(3) Parallel to the B field
(4) Independent of the velocity
(5) None of the above

When I cut a magnet into two pieces I get:

An isolated north and south magnetic pole
Two smaller magnets
The two pieces are no longer magnets
 Magnetic Force
A vertical wire carries a current and is in a
vertical magnetic field. What is the
direction of the force on the wire?
(a) left
(b) right B
(c) zero
(d) into the page
(e) out of the page

No force when v || B
i
 Magnetic Force
A rectangular current loop is in a uniform
magnetic field. What direction is the net
force on the loop?
(a) + x B
(b) + y
(c) zero
(d) x z
(e) y

Forces cancel on y
opposite sides of loop x
 Amperes Law
the integral of the vector
magnetic field intensity, H,
around a closed path is
equal to the total current
linked by the closed path, I
Typical Configurations
The magnetic field around
an infinitely long, straight
conductor carrying a
current, i is:

Hd l = i i

it is a scalar product (dot H

r
product)
if vectors H and dl are co-
linear (same direction) it will i
be a simple algebraic H =
product
2r
i
the integral will strongly B = H =
depend on the GEOMETRY 2r
Another Right-Hand Rule
Ferromagnetic Materials
B
saturation

linear
H

Magnetic Intensity
B = H
= r 0

(linear relationship for most materials)

 Magnetic Intensity: Straight Wire
To use symmetry, choose path of
integration as circle with radius r Path of integration
centered on wire
I
H dl = I H dl = I H=
2 r
Direction by right-hand rule.
I
Magnetic Intensity: Coaxial Wire
Inner conductor has radius a, outer has radius b.
Path of integration
dl = I
H
I
H= a<r<b
2r
H =0 r>b I
I
Cross Product Form of the
Biot-Savart Law
The Biot-Savart Law can be
represented more compactly using a
vector cross product. This
automatically gives a B field that is
perpendicular to the plane of the
charge velocity and radius vector to
the point at which the field is being
evaluated.

B = 0 q (v r)

4 r 2
 Magnetic Field from a tight
coil I.e. many current loop
ds
Direction: r Magnitude:
as for a single loop

0 I
B=
1 loop Current I 2R

0 NI
N loops Current NI B=
2R
 Other examples of Magnetic field

Centre of a wire loop radius R B=

0 I
2R

Centre of a tight Wire Coil with N turns

0 NI
B=
2R

Distance a from long straight wire

0 I
B=
2a
 Magnetic Force Between Two
Parallel Wires
A current carrying wire in a magnetic field
feels a magnetic force
A current carrying wire generates a
magnetic field
Thus two current carrying wires will exert a
force on each other
 Magnetic Force Between Two Parallel Wires
Magnetic field at wire 1 from wire 2 0 I 2
I1 B2 =
2a
a Magnetic Force on wire 1 due to B2
(everything ^) FB = I1l1 B2
I2
I1l10 I 2 0 I1I 2
FB = = l1
B2
2 a
2 a

Force on wire 1 0 I1 I 2
F1 = l1
due to wire 2
2a
From Newtons 3rd Law 0 I1 I 2
(& symmetry) Force on F2 = l2
wire 2 due to wire 1 2a
F 0 I1 I 2
Force / unit length =
l 2a
Definition of Ampere F 0 I1 I 2
=
l 2a
If the magnitude of the force per unit
length between 2 parallel wires carrying
identical currents and separated by 1m is
210-7 N/m then the current in each wire
is 1A

Definition of a Coulomb: If a current of

1A is passing through a wire then 1C of
charge passes a surface in 1s
 Example: Magnetic Force on an
Electron
A long straight wire carries a
10 A current from left to right.
An electron 10 cm above the
wire is traveling to the right
with a speed of 1.0x107 m/s.
What is the magnitude and
direction of the force on the
electron.
0 2 I
Bwire =
4 d F = evB
= (1.0 107 Tm/A)(20 A)/(0.1 m) = (1.6 10-19 C)(1.0 107 m/s)(2.0 10-4 T)
= 2.0 104 T =3.2 10-16 N
Direction of F is up. Electron will
move away from the wire.
 Hall Effect: Do + or Charges Carry
Current?

+ charges moving counter- charges moving clockwise

clockwise experience upward force experience upward force
Upper plate at higher potential Upper plate at lower potential
Equilibrium between electrostatic & magnetic forces:
VH
Fup = qvdrift B Fdown = qEinduced = q VH = vdrift Bw = "Hall Voltage"
w
This type of experiment led to the discovery (E. Hall, 1879) that current
in conductors is carried by negative charges
Magnetic Fields
 Solenoid (coil)
the longer the coil - the
straighter the lines of force B

Hdl = Ni
where N is a
number of turns

at the centre of a long

solenoid the magnetic field is:
H=NI/L L
B=H=NI/L