CH 27 MAGNETIC FIELD AND MAGNETIC FORCES I
Intended Learning Outcomes – after this lecture you will learn:
1. Definition of magnetic field
2. Visualizing magnetic field using magnetic field lines
3. Magnetic flux and the Gauss’s law in magnetism
4. Examples of charged particle motion in magnetic field
Textbook Reference: 27.1 – 27.4
Ancient Chinese wisdom – a bar magnet (compass) points along a magnetic field
Magnetic Field
�⃗ through the electric force acting on a charge, 𝑭𝑭
Analogous to defining the electric field 𝑬𝑬 �⃗ = 𝑞𝑞𝑬𝑬
��⃗,
define the magnetic field ��⃗
𝑩𝑩 through the magnetic force acting on a particle.
In order to experience a magnetic force, a particle must be
1. Charged, with charge 𝑞𝑞
2. Moving, with velocity �𝒗𝒗⃗
�⃗?
How does the magnetic force depend on 𝒗𝒗
Demonstration: Electron beam Deflection (under magnetic field) to show
that �𝑭𝑭⃗ ⊥ 𝒗𝒗
�⃗
Define the magnetic field ��⃗ �⃗ = 𝑞𝑞𝒗𝒗
𝑩𝑩 such that the magnetic force is given by 𝑭𝑭 ��⃗
�⃗ × 𝑩𝑩
SI unit: N⋅s/(C⋅m) = N/A⋅m = T tesla
1 T is a large magnetic field, a smaller unit is gauss G, 1 G = 10−4 T
Earth’s magnetic field is ~ 1 G
PHYS1114 Lecture 11 Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces I P. 1
Magnitude of magnetic force is
𝐹𝐹 = |𝑞𝑞|𝑣𝑣⊥ 𝐵𝐵
= |𝑞𝑞|𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣 sin 𝜙𝜙
Question: the correct path of the particle in the
magnetic field is Path (1 / 2 / 3)
Answer: see inverted text on P. 912
PHYS1114 Lecture 11 Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces I P. 2
Magnetic Field Lines (a simple revision of your high school physics)
Visualize a vector field ��⃗
𝑩𝑩 by lines, c.f. electric field ��⃗
𝑬𝑬
Demonstration: Magnetic field lines in 3D
Define magnetic flux (“amount” of field lines flowing through a surface) in exactly the same
way as electric flux
For a uniform magnetic field and flat surface, Φ𝐵𝐵 = ��⃗
𝑩𝑩 ⋅ �𝑨𝑨⃗
For non-uniform magnetic field and/or curved surface
𝑑𝑑Φ𝐵𝐵 = ��⃗ ��⃗ = 𝐵𝐵 cos 𝜙𝜙 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 𝐵𝐵⊥ 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐴𝐴⊥
𝑩𝑩 ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
Φ𝐵𝐵 = � ��⃗ �⃗
𝑩𝑩 ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
𝑑𝑑Φ𝐵𝐵
𝐵𝐵 =
SI unit: weber Wb, 1 Wb = 1 T·m 2 𝑑𝑑𝐴𝐴⊥
PHYS1114 Lecture 11 Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces I P. 3
Unlike electric field lines which start at +ve charge
and end at –ve charge, magnetic field lines have no
beginning nor end, because N and S poles cannot be
separated. Magnetic field lines form close loops.
Therefore, Gauss’s law for magnetism is
� ��⃗ �⃗ = 0
𝑩𝑩 ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
No magnetic monopole
Example 27.2 P. 915
Surface area 𝐴𝐴 = 3.0 cm2 , magnetic flux through the surface is +0.90 mWb. Magnitude of the
magnetic field is
Φ𝐵𝐵
𝐵𝐵 =
𝐴𝐴 cos 𝜙𝜙
+0.90 × 10−3 Wb
=
(3.0 × 10−4 m2 )(cos 60°)
= 6.0 T
Motion of Charged Particles in a Magnetic Field
�⃗ = 𝑚𝑚𝒂𝒂
𝑭𝑭 �⃗ × ��⃗
�⃗ = 𝑞𝑞𝒗𝒗 𝑩𝑩
�𝒂𝒂⃗ ⊥ �𝒗𝒗⃗, therefore �𝒂𝒂⃗ is the centripetal acceleration that changes direction of 𝒗𝒗�⃗, but never change its
magnitude. Motion of a charged particle under the action of a magnetic field alone is always
motion with constant speed with no change in energy.
Magnetic force never do work on a charged particle (∵ �𝑭𝑭⃗ ⊥ 𝒗𝒗 �⃗ = 𝑑𝑑𝒔𝒔
�⃗/𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑), therefore cannot
define a scalar potential function through 𝑊𝑊 = −Δ𝑈𝑈 like in the case of electric field.
PHYS1114 Lecture 11 Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces I P. 4
For uniform B field
�⃗ ⊥ ��⃗
1. If 𝒗𝒗 𝑩𝑩
�⃗ always in the same plane as 𝒗𝒗
𝑭𝑭 �⃗ (and ⊥ 𝑩𝑩��⃗), therefore 2D motion
�⃗ always normal to path, therefore uniform circular motion
𝒂𝒂
𝑚𝑚𝑣𝑣 2
𝐹𝐹 = |𝑞𝑞|𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣 =
𝑅𝑅 Centripetal
Radius of circle acceleration
𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
𝑅𝑅 = 𝑣𝑣 2 /𝑅𝑅
|𝑞𝑞|𝐵𝐵
Angular frequency/velocity of the uniform circular motion
𝑣𝑣 |𝑞𝑞|𝐵𝐵
𝜔𝜔 = =
𝑅𝑅 𝑚𝑚
The frequency 𝑓𝑓 = 𝜔𝜔/2𝜋𝜋 = |𝑞𝑞|𝐵𝐵⁄2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋 is called the cyclotron frequency
A cyclotron accelerates charge particles using an E field and at the same time keep
them in circular orbits using a B field
Example – a bubble chamber
Used in studying particle physics. Filled with superheated liquid hydrogen. Charged particles fly
through causing liquid to vaporize, forming tiny bubbles behind that mark its path.
A gamma ray photon 𝛾𝛾 knock out a fast electron from H
atom, and itself changed into an electron 𝑒𝑒 − plus a
positron 𝑒𝑒 + (antiparticle of electron, with same mass but
opposite charge).
This process is called pair production
𝛾𝛾 ⟶ 𝑒𝑒 − + 𝑒𝑒 +
Question:
1. Can you identify which one is the path of 𝑒𝑒 + ?
2. Which one is the path of the fast electron knocked
out from an H atom?
3. Why the paths spiral instead of remaining as circles?
PHYS1114 Lecture 11 Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces I P. 5
�⃗ not ⊥ ��⃗
2. If 𝒗𝒗 𝑩𝑩
��⃗
𝑣𝑣⊥ ⇒ uniform circular motion ⊥ 𝑩𝑩
��⃗
𝑣𝑣∥ ⇒ constant drift along 𝑩𝑩
Combine to trace out a helical path of radius
𝑚𝑚𝑣𝑣⊥
𝑅𝑅 =
|𝑞𝑞|𝐵𝐵
Example 27.4 P. 918
In the above helical path case, suppose the particle is a proton with 𝑚𝑚 = 1.67 × 10−27 kg, 𝑞𝑞 =
1.6 × 10−19 C, and 𝐵𝐵 = 0.500 T.
If at 𝑡𝑡 = 0, 𝑣𝑣𝑥𝑥 = 1.50 × 105 m/s, 𝑣𝑣𝑦𝑦 = 0, 𝑣𝑣𝑧𝑧 = 2.00 × 105 m/s, magnetic force on proton
� � × 𝐵𝐵𝒊𝒊̂ = 𝑞𝑞𝑣𝑣𝑧𝑧 𝐵𝐵�𝒌𝒌
�⃗ = 𝑞𝑞�𝑣𝑣𝑥𝑥 𝒊𝒊̂ + 𝑣𝑣𝑧𝑧 𝒌𝒌
𝑭𝑭 � × 𝒊𝒊̂� = 𝑞𝑞𝑣𝑣𝑧𝑧 𝐵𝐵𝒋𝒋̂ = (1.60 × 10−14 N)𝒋𝒋̂
Period of the circular motion
1 2𝜋𝜋 2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋
𝑇𝑇 = = = = 1.31 × 10−7 s
𝑓𝑓 𝜔𝜔 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞
Radius of the helix
𝑚𝑚𝑣𝑣𝑧𝑧
𝑅𝑅 = = 4.18 × 10−3 m
|𝑞𝑞|𝐵𝐵
Pitch of the helix (distance travelled along the helix axis per revolution)
= 𝑇𝑇𝑣𝑣𝑥𝑥 = 0.0197 m
For non-uniform B field
Consider two examples:
Magnetic confinement in a Thermonuclear Reactor
A magnetic bottle in a thermonuclear fusion reactor (H + H ⟶ He) traps charged particles at
very high temperature ~106 K (called plasma) using a non-uniform magnetic field
Particles are turned back by the
magnetic field near the two ends as B
field narrows
PHYS1114 Lecture 11 Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces I P. 6
Aurora (nature’s magnetic bottle)
Earth’s magnetic field protects the earth from harmful charged particles from the sun. It acts as a
magnetic bottle to trap charged particles in the van Allen radiation belt outside the atmosphere.
During strong solar flare, too many charged particles, not all are turned back at the poles. Some
enter the atmosphere and collide with air molecules, resulting in aurora
Clicker Questions
PHYS1114 Lecture 11 Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces I P. 7
Ans: Q27.2) C and E, Q 27.7) E, Q27.8) E
PHYS1114 Lecture 11 Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces I P. 8
