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CBSE – CLASS XII – PHYSICS – CHAPTER 5
MAGNETISM AND MATTER
SOLVED PROBLEMS
5.1 (a) What happens if a bar magnet is cut into two pieces: (i) transverse to its length, (ii)
along its length?
(b) A magnetised needle in a uniform magnetic field experiences a torque but no net
force. An iron nail near a bar magnet, however, experiences a force of attraction in
addition to a torque. Why?
(c) Must every magnetic configuration have a north pole and a south pole? What about
the field due to a toroid?
(d) Two identical looking iron bars A and B are given, one of which is definitely known
to be magnetised. (We do not know which one.) How would one ascertain whether
or not both are magnetised? If only one is magnetised, how does one ascertain which
one? [Use nothing else but the bars A and B]
Solution:
(a) In either case, one gets two magnets, each with a north and south pole.
(b) No force if the field is uniform. The iron nail experiences a non-uniform field due to
the bar magnet. There is induced magnetic moment in the nail, therefore, it
experiences both force and torque. The net force is attractive because the induced
south pole in the nail is closer to the north pole of magnet than induced north pole.
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N
Magnetised Iron Nail
(c) It is not necessary that every magnetic configuration have a north pole and a south
pole. Poles are formed only if the source of field has a net non-zero magnetic
moment. In case of a toroid and for an infinitely long conductor carrying current,
the net magnetic moment is zero and hence there is no pole formation.
(d) Try to bring different ends of the bars closer. A repulsive force in some situation
establishes that both are magnetised. If it is always attractive, then one of them is
not magnetised.
If both are magnetised
S N N S
S If only one
N is magnetised
S N
Always attraction Iron Bar
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In a bar magnet the intensity of the magnetic field is the strongest at the two ends
(poles) and weakest at the central region. This fact may be used to determine
whether A or B is the magnet.
In this case, to see which one of the two bars is a magnet, pick up one, (say A) and
lower one of its ends ; first on one of the ends of the other (say B), and then on the
middle of B. If you notice that in the middle of B, A experiences no force, then B is
magnetised. If you do not notice any change from the end to the middle of B, then A
is magnetised.
A A
N
N N S
B B
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5.2 Figure shows a small magnetised needle P placed at a point O. The arrow shows the
direction of its magnetic moment. The other arrows show different positions (and
orientations of the magnetic moment) of another identical magnetised needle Q.
(a) In which configuration the system is not in equilibrium?
(b) In which configuration is the system in (i) stable and (ii) unstable equilibrium?
(c) Which configuration corresponds to the lowest potential energy among all the
configurations shown? Q4 θ = 180o
θ = 90o θ = 90o o
θ = 180o Q5 O P Q3 θ = 0
Q1 Q2
Q6
Solution:
θ = 0o
Potential energy of the configuration arises due to the potential energy of one dipole
(say Q) in the magnetic field due to other (P).
(a) The system is in equilibrium only when mQ is either parallel (or) antiparallel to BP.
Configurations not in equilibrium are PQ1 and PQ2
(b) Equilibrium is stable when mQ is parallel to BP & unstable when it is anti-parallel to BP
(i) Configurations in stable equilibrium are PQ3 and PQ6
(ii) Configurations in unstable equilibrium are PQ4 and PQ5
(c) Configuration corresponds to the lowest potential energy is PQ6
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5.3 Many of the diagrams given in Figure show magnetic field lines (thick lines in the figure)
wrongly. Point out what is wrong with them. Some of them may describe electrostatic
field lines correctly. Point out which ones.
Solution:
(a) Wrong. Magnetic field lines can never emanate from a point, as shown in figure.
Over any closed surface, the net flux of B must always be zero, i.e., pictorially as
many field lines should seem to enter the surface as the number of lines leaving it.
The field lines shown, in fact, represent electric field of a long positively charged
wire. The correct magnetic field lines are circling the straight conductor.
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(b) Wrong. Magnetic field lines (like electric field lines) can never cross each other,
because otherwise the direction of field at the point of intersection is ambiguous.
There is further error in the figure. Magnetostatic field lines can never form closed
loops around empty space. A closed loop of static magnetic field line must enclose a
region across which a current is passing. By contrast, electrostatic field lines can
never form closed loops, neither in empty space, nor when the loop encloses charges.
(d) Wrong. Field lines due to a solenoid at its ends and outside cannot be so completely
straight and confined ; The lines should curve out at both ends and meet eventually
to form closed loops.
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(e) Right. These are field lines outside and inside a bar magnet. Note carefully the
direction of field lines inside. Not all field lines emanate out of a north pole (or
converge into a south pole). Around both the N-pole, and the S-pole, the net flux of
the field is zero.
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(f) Wrong. These field lines cannot possibly represent a magnetic field. Look at the
upper region. All the field lines seem to emanate out of the shaded plate. The net
flux through a surface surrounding the shaded plate is not zero. This is impossible
for a magnetic field.
The given field lines, in fact, show the electrostatic field lines around a positively
charged upper plate and a negatively charged lower plate.
(g) Wrong. Magnetic field lines between two pole pieces cannot be precisely straight at
the ends. Some fringing of lines is inevitable. This is also true for electric field lines.
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5.4 (a) Magnetic field lines show the direction (at every point) along which a small
magnetised needle aligns (at the point). Do the magnetic field lines also represent the
lines of force on a moving charged particle at every point?
(b) If magnetic monopoles existed, how would the Gauss’s law of magnetism be
modified?
(c) Does a bar magnet exert a torque on itself due to its own field? Does one element of
a current-carrying wire exert a force on another element of the same wire?
(d) Magnetic field arises due to charges in motion. Can a system have magnetic
moments even though its net charge is zero?
Solution:
(a) No. The magnetic force is always normal to B.
→ → →
[ remember magnetic force F = q ( v x B ) ]
It is misleading to call magnetic field lines as lines of force.
(b) Gauss’s law of magnetism states that the flux of B through any closed surface is
always zero.
→ →
∫ B . ∆s = 0
S
If monopoles existed, the right hand side would be equal to the monopole (magnetic
charge) qm enclosed by S.
→ →
∫ B . ∆s = µo qm
S
(Analogous to Gauss’s law of electrostatics)
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(c) No. There is no force or torque on an element due to the field produced by that
element itself. But there is a force (or torque) on an element of the same wire.
(d) Yes. The average of the charge in the system may be zero. Yet, the mean of the
magnetic moments due to various current loops may not be zero. We will come
across such examples in connection with paramagnetic material where atoms have
net dipole moment though their net charge is zero.
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5.5 A solenoid has a core of a material with relative permeability 400. The windings of the
solenoid are insulated from the core and carry a current of 2A. If the number of turns is
1000 per metre, calculate (a) H, (b) M, (c) B and (d) the magnetising current Im.
Solution:
(a) Bo = µoH ; Bo = µonI
H = nI = 1000 x 2 = 2000 A/m
M
(b) χ = ; M = χH ; M = (µr – 1)H
H
M = (400 – 1) x 2000 = 399 x 2000 = 7.98 x 105 A/m
(c) B = µH = µoµrH = 4 x 3.14 x 10–7 x 400 x 2000 = 32 x 3.14 x 10–2
B = 100.48 x 10–2 ≈ 1 T
(d) The magnetising current IM is the additional current that needs to be passed
through the windings of the solenoid in the absence of the core which would give a B
value as in the presence of the core.
B = µon(I + IM)
B B
I + IM = ; IM = –I
µo n µo n
1 1
IM = –2 = –2
−7
4 x 3.14 x 10 x 1000 12.56 x 10 − 4
10000
IM = – 2 = 796 – 2 = 794 A
12.56