PHY 104 - INTRODUCTORY
ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
(Lecture 4)
Prof. Rachel I. Obed
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ELECTRODYNAMICS OF CHARGED
PARTICLES
Electrodynamics deals with the phenomena
associated with charged particles in motion
and changing electric and magnetic fields.
It is concerned with effects such as
magnetism and electromagnetic induction.
Electromagnetism involves the relationship
between electric currents and magnetic fields
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ELECTRODYNAMICS
OF CHARGED PARTICLES
Points to note:
• Source of magnetism is electric charge
• Magnetic fields are produced only when
electric charges are in motion
• Electric field is defined as force per unit
charge at any location in space or E =F/q
• Electric fields occur close to electric charges
• Magnetic fields exist near permanent
magnets
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Magnetic field (I)
• A magnetic field can exert a force on a moving
charged particle
• The magnitude of this force is proportional to the
particle’s charge & it’s speed
• Because magnetic field is a vector field, both
magnitude (or strength) and direction must
be specified
• The direction of a magnetic field(Ḃ) at any
location is the direction that the north pole of a
compass would point if placed at that location
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Magnetic field (II)
• When a particle’s velocity ṽ is
perpendicular to the magnetic field (Ḃ) , the
magnitude of the field, or the field strength
B, is defined as
F
B
•
qv
• Valid only when ṽ is perpendicular to Ḃ
• SI unit- Tesla(T)
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Magnetic field (III)
Force magnitude, F = qvB (valid only if ṽ is Ḭar
to Ḃ)
• Generally, a particle veI. may not be Ḭar to
the field. Thus, F= qvBsinθ
• F = 0 (ṽ & Ḃ parallel i.e. θ=0 or oppositely
directed θ=180)
• F= max. (if ṽ is Ḭar to Ḃ; θ=90
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Right-hand force rule for moving
charges
The right hand rule states that : If you point
your pointer finger in the direction the
positive charge is moving, and then your
middle finger in the direction of the magnetic
field, your thumb points in the direction of the
magnetic force pushing on the moving
charge.
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Path of a charged particle in a
magnetic field (I)
• When a charged particle enters a uniform
magnetic field, it will be deflected
• In the field, Force is always perpendicular to
the particle’s velocity
• The particle moves in a circular path if the field is
constant and the particle enters the field
perpendicularly to its direction.
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Path of a charged particle in a
magnetic field(II)
a. A charged particle
entering a uniform
magnetic field will
be deflected-
toward the xy-plane
by the RHR,
because charge is
–ve.
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b. The force is always perpendicular to the
particle’s velocity, in the field
• If the field is constant, the particle moves
in a circular path and enters the field
perpendicularly to its direction.
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Exercise 8
A particle with a charge of -3.5 x 10-4 C and a
mass of 4.0 x 10-8 kg moves at 1.5 x 104 m/s
in the +x direction. It enters a uniform
magnetic field of 0.30 T that points in the +y
direction (see previous diagram-a) (i) which
way will the particle deflect just as it enters
the field? (ii) Calculate the magnitude of the
force on the particle just as it enters the field
(ii) Calculate the radius of the circular arc
12 that the particle will travel while in the field.
Magnetic forces on current-
carrying wires (I)
• Generally, any charged particle moving in a
magnetic field will experience a magnetic
force
• Magnetic fields exert forces on wires that
carry currents (because electric current is
composed of moving charged particles)
• Magnetic force on a current-carrying wire is
maximum, if the angle between the charge
velocity and the field is 900
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Magnetic forces on current-
carrying wires (II)
Direction of “conventional current” assumes
that electric current in a wire is due to the
motion of positive charges
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Magnetic forces on current-
carrying wires (III)
• In a time t, any one charge q, would move
on the average, a length L = vt wnere, v =
average drift speed
• If total charge(Σq) in the length of wire are
acted on by a magnetic force in the same
direction, the magnitude of the total force on
the length of wire is given as:
F = (Σq)vB
(Assuming uniform field)
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Magnetic forces on current-
carrying wires (IV)
Substituting L/t for v and rearranging,
F = (Σq)(L/t)B = (Σq/t)LB
F = ILB (valid only if current &
magnetic field are perpendicular). –Gives
max. force of the wire.
• If the current makes an angle θ w.r.t the field
direction, the force on the wire will decrease
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Magnetic forces on current-
carrying wires (V)
• In general, the force on a length of current-
carrying wire in a uniform magnetic field is:
F = ILBsinθ
Note: If I is parallel to or directly opposite to the field,
then the force on a current-carrying wire is also
given by a right-hand rule.
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Right-hand force rule for a current-
carrying wire
Rule: When the fingers of the right hand are
extended in the direction of the magnetic
field Ḃ and the thumb is pointed in the
direction of the conventional current I, then
the palm points in the direction of the
magnetic force on the wire Ḟ
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APPLICATIONS OF CURRENT-CARRYING
WIRES IN MAGNETIC FIELDS TO MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
e.g. of instruments whose functions depend on
electromagnetic interactions btwn currents
and magnetic fields.
• The Galvanometer
• The DC motor
• The Electronic balance
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The Galvanometer
• Consist of a coil of
wire loops on an
iron core that pivots
between the pole
faces of a
permanent magnet
• Current in the coil
causes a torque to
be exerted on the
21 coil
The Galvanometer
• A small spring supplies a countertorque
• When the two torques cancel(equilibrium) a
pointer indicates a deflection angle ϕ that is
proportional to the coil’s current
• The deflection(ϕ) of the needle from its zero-
current position is proportional to the current in
the coil.
• Galvanometer can detect and measure
currents
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The electronic balance
A digital electronic
balance
Balancing downward
force is supplied by
current-carrying coils
of wire in the field of a
permanent magnet.
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• Diagram of the principle of an electronic
balance
• The balance force is supplied by
electromagnetism
• The principle is that they measure the
force that is being exerted on the pan
which is always downwards due to
gravity. The force is then converted into an
electrical signal and gets displayed on a
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digital display.