PHY443

Chapter 4: Magnetic Field & Magnetic Forces

Exercises

1. Calculate the maximum force on an aluminum rod with a 0.100 μC charge passing between the
poles of a 1.50 T permanent magnet at a speed of 5.00 ms-1. Give the direction of the magnetic
force.
[FB= 7.50×10−7 N]

2. A proton moving at 4.00 × 106 ms-1 through a magnetic field of magnitude 1.70 T experiences a
magnetic force of magnitude 8.20 × 10-13 N. Determine the angle between the proton’s velocity and
the magnetic field.
[θ = 48.9°]

3. An electron moves at 8.00 × 106 ms-1 along the y-axis. It enters a region in which there is a magnetic
field of magnitude 2.50 T, directed at an angle of 60.0° with the y-axis and lying in the xy-plane (a)
Find the initial magnitude and direction of the magnetic force on the electron. (b) Calculate the
electron’s initial acceleration.
y

⃗
𝒗 ⃗⃗
𝑩
60°

[(a) FB= 2.77 ×10−12 N, positive z-axis (b) a = 1.66 ×1015 ms-2]

4. An electron moves parallel to a magnetic field of 0.10 T with a speed of 2.0 × 10-6 ms-1. Find the
acceleration experiences by the electron.
[a = 0]

5. A wire carries a steady current of 2.40 A. A straight section of the wire is 0.750 m long and lies
along the x-axis within a uniform magnetic field, ⃗𝑩 ⃗ = 1.60𝒌 ⃗ T. If the current is in the positive x
direction, find the magnetic force on the section of the wire.
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗𝑩 = −2.88𝒋 N]
[𝑭
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6. The magnitude force on a straight copper wire of length 6.0 cm carrying a current of 5.0 A placed
⃗⃗ at an angle of 20ο to the field is 2.50 × 10-3 N. Calculate the magnitude
in a uniform magnetic field 𝑩
of the magnetic field.

⃗𝑩
⃗

20ο
I

[B = 0.0244 T]

7. A long, rigid wire lying along the y-axis carries a 5.0-A current flowing in the positive y-direction.
If a constant magnetic field of magnitude 0.30 T is directed along the positive x-axis, find the
magnetic force per unit length on the wire.
⃗⃗⃗
𝑭
⃗ Nm-1]
[ 𝒍𝑩 = −1.5𝒌

8. A current of 1.0 mA is maintained in a single circular loop of 2.00 m circumference. A magnetic

field of 0.8 T is directed parallel to the plane of the loop. Calculate the torque exerted by the
magnetic field on the loop.
[ τ = 4.33 ×10-3 Nm]

9. A vertical rectangular coil of sides 5cm by2 cm has 10 turns and carries a current of 2 A. Calculate
the torque on the coil when it is placed in a uniform horizontal magnetic field of 0.1 T with its plane
(a) parallel to the field, (b)perpendicular to the field and (c) 60ο to the field.
[(a) τ = 2 × 10−3 Nm, (b) τ = 0, (𝑐) 𝜏 = 1 × 10−3 Nm ]

10. A proton moves perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field at a speed of 1.00 × 107 ms-1 and
experiences an acceleration of 2.00 × 1013 ms-2 in the positive x direction when its velocity is in the
positive z direction. Determine the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field.
[𝑩⃗⃗ = −20.9𝒋 mT]

11. An electron moves in a circular path perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field with magnitude of
⃗ ms-1, (a) calculate the radius of the circular
2.00𝒊 mT. If the speed of the electron is 1.50 × 107𝒌
path, (b) the time interval required to complete one revolution and (c) sketch the circular path of
the electron.
[(a) r = 4.27 cm, (b) T = 1.79 ×10-8 s]
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12. Determine the magnetic field at a point 50 mm from a wire carrying a current of 3A.
[B = 1.20 ×10-5 T]

13. Two wires, W1 and W2 are perpendicular to each other in the xy-plane. The two wires carry different
currents. Calculate the magnitude of the net magnetic field these wires produce at point J.

[B = 4.5 ×10-5 T]

14. Two wires as shown below carrying currents of I1 = 4.00 A and I2 = 5.00 A in the direction
indicated. Find the direction and magnitude of the resultant magnetic field at a point S.

I1 = 4.00 A

6 cm
10 cm s

8 cm

I2 = 5.00 A

[B = 18.11 ×10-6 T at -83.7o]

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15. Calculate the force per unit length between the wires.

⃗⃗⃗
𝑭𝑩
[ 𝒍
=7.0 ×10-4 Nm-]

16. Find the force experienced by side MN of the rectangular loop.

𝜇𝑜 𝐼1 𝐼2 𝐿
[𝐹 = 2𝜋𝑎
]

17. Consider the three long straight parallel wires as shown in figure below. Find the force experienced
by a 25 cm length of wire C.

[F = 3 ×10-4 N toward the right]

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18. Specify with the aid of diagram the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field B at point P,
which is (a) outside a long straight wire, (b) the center of a circular coil of N loops having radius a,
(c) inside a long solenoid with n loops per meter and (d) inside a toroid having N loops.

19. A long straight wire carrying a current I produces a magnetic field of 0.5 mT at a distance of 8.0
cm from the wire in vacuum. Find the magnitude of the current.
[I = 200 A]

20. A coil of radius 200 mm is to produce a field of 0.4 × 10 -4 T in its center with a current 0.25 A.
How many turns must there be in the coil?
[N = 51 turns]

21. A solenoid has length L = 1.23 m and inner diameter d = 3.55 cm, and it carries a current I = 5.57
A. It consists of five close-packed layers, each with 850 turns along length L. What is magnitude
of magnetic field at its center?
[B = 24.2 mT]

22. Using the Biot-Savart equation, find the total magnetic field at point P for the following
configuration. Wire C and D have radius R1 and R2, respectively. State your final answer in terms
of R1 and R2.

𝜇 𝐼 𝜇 𝐼
[𝐵𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 4𝑅𝑜 − 4𝑅𝑜 ]
1 2