ELECTROMAGNETISM

Electromagnetism is the science of the properties and relationship between electric currents and
magnetism. An electric current creates a magnetic field and a moving magnetic field will create a
flow of charge. This relationship between electricity and magnetism has resulted in the invention of
many devices which are useful to humans.

Magnetic Fields

The poles of a magnet exert forces. The region in which these forces act is known as a magnetic
field.
Magnetic force is a Non Contact force.
Represent by magnetic field lines.
Symbol, B
Vector quantity (magnitude and direction)
SI unit, Tesla (T).

Magnetic Effect of a Current

Movement of electric charge is an underlying cause of magnetism. Hence, an electric current, being
a flow of charge, produces a magnetic field. If the current is flowing in a wire, the shape of the
magnetic field is dependent on the configuration of the wire. The greater the current, the stronger
the field it create.

Magnetic field in a straight wire carrying a current

The direction of the magnetic fields produced by an electric current, depend on the direction of the
electric current.
To determine the direction of the magnetic fields around a conductor (wire) used Right Hand Grip
Rules (RHGR).

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
Right-Hand Grip Rule

Grasp the wire with right hand so that the thumb points in the direction of the conventional current,
then the wrapped fingers will encircle the wire in the direction of the magnetic field.

Current In and Out Of the Page

The magnetic field strength of the wire carrying a current depends on the
i. Amount of the current carry by the wire (I)
ii. Distance of magnetic field from the wire (d)

𝒌𝑰 2 × 10−7 × 2
𝑩= = = 𝟏. 𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟓 𝑻 (𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊 − 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒆)
𝒅 3 × 10−2

Activity

i. As shown below, is a piece of wire that carries a current of 4.0 A. Draw the magnetic field around
the wire.
ii. Calculate the strength of the magnetic field at point X if X is 3 cm from the wire.

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
Magnetic Fields around a solenoid

The magnetic field around a solenoid is determined by the Right Hand Grip Rule (RHGR). “If the coil
is clasped in the right hand so that the fingers curl in the direction of current, the thumb points in
the direction of magnetic field.

Strength of the magnetic field can be increased by:

1. Increasing the current in the coil

2. Increasing the number of turning of the wires in the coil or
solenoid
3. using a soft iron core within the solenoid

Magnetic Forces between two parallel wires carry a current

If two wires carry a current, the two magnetic fields from the two current carrying wires interact
with each other and a force is experience by the two wires. This force causes the two wires to either
attract or rebel depending on the direction of current.
If the interaction of the two magnetic fields between the wires is acting in the same direction, the
forces will add up and become stronger, thus the two wires will repel. (current in opposite direction)
If the interaction of the two magnetic fields between the wires is acting in the opposite direction,
the forces will cancel out and become weaker, thus the two wires will attract. (current in same
direction)
Reminder that the force is a vector quantity, it has both magnitude and direction.

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
The Principles of Magnetic Force

When two magnetic fields interacted it produced magnetic force. The two magnetic fields are either
between two magnets or between magnet and a wire carrying currents or between two wires
carrying currents. The magnitude of the force depends on
i. Current (I)
ii. Strength of the magnetic fields (B) produced by the magnet.
iii. Length of the wire (𝑙)
iv. Distance between the wires (d)
Where
𝑰𝟏 𝑰𝟐 𝒍 𝒌𝑰𝟏 𝑰𝟐 𝒍 k = proportionality constant, 2 × 10−7 𝑁𝐴−2
𝑭𝜶 𝑭=
𝒅 𝒅 𝑰𝟏 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑰𝟐 = Current carry by the wires (A)
d = distance between two wires (m)

i. Draw the magnetic field associated with the two

Example
parallel wires.
ii. Calculate the force experienced by the wires, if the
wire is 10 m long.

iii. Is this magnetic force is an attraction or repulsion

force?

Note

 If the wires carrying current in opposite direction, the wires will experience a repulsion force.
 If the wire carrying current in same direction, the wires will experience an attraction force.

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
Motor Effect

When two magnets are close together, they affect each other and produce a force. The same
happens when any two magnetic fields are close together. If a wire carrying a current is placed in a
magnetic field a force is produced. This is called the motor effect.
The direction of the force will depend on the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of the
current in the field.

When a current carrying conductor is placed in a magnetic field, a FORCE is produced except when it
is placed parallel to the magnetic field.
Maximum force produced when current and field are perpendicular to each other.

Where
𝑭 = 𝑩𝑰𝒍𝑺𝒊𝒏𝜽 F = Force (N)
B = Magnetic field of the bar magnet (T)
𝒍 = length of the conductor (wire) in the magnetic field (m)
𝜽 = angle between the conductor (wire or coil) and magnetic field

How to work out the direction of the force on wire or coil

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
Example

If a conductor of length 0.4m carrying a current of 10.6A is placed in a magnetic field strength of 0.003T,
determine the force experienced by this conductor in Newtons.

Solution

Activity

1. Using the right hand slap rule or FLHR, draw an arrow in the diagram below to show the direction of
the magnetic force acting on the carbon rod when switch S is closed.
2. Calculate the force experience by the carbon rod.

THE ELECTRIC MOTOR

In its simplest form a DC motor consists of a single turn coil of wire that is free to rotate in a
magnetic field about an axle. Carbon brushes make contact with the ends of the coil that are
connected to a commutator so that a current can be passed through the coil.

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
 The sequence of diagrams below shows the coil from an end-on view, making it easy to see how the
forces acting on each side of the coil produce a turning effect about the axle. Diagram c) shows that
the turning effect is zero when the coil is parallel to the permanent magnets (because the line of
action of the forces passes through the axis of rotation). This might suggest that the coil stops in this
position, but it will inevitably overshoot, and as soon as it does so, the commutator will reverse the
direction of the current every half cycle in the coil which means the coil will continue to spin.

Note

 If the current is reversed, the motion will be in the opposite direction.

 If the magnetic field is reversed, the motion will change direction again.

 Solenoid creates magnetic field

when current goes through
 That magnetic field tries to line
up with permanent magnet’s
field
 Moves pointer in the process
 More current, more pointer
moves

𝝉 = 𝑩𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑪𝒐𝒔𝜽

Exercise

1. What is the magnetic field 3cm from a wire that carries a current of 12A?

2. a) Two bar magnets are placed end to end, with the North poles facing each other. Sketch the shape of the
magnetic field around the two magnets.

b) One magnet is turned to face the other way. Sketch the shape of the magnetic field around the two magnets now.

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou
3. Two wires are placed parallel to each other, 5cm apart. They are 10m long and a current of 4A flows in one and
6A in the other, in the same direction.

a) What force does the wire with 4A in it experience?

b) Is the force towards the other wire or away from it?

4. A 0.4m length of wire points towards the North and has a current of 5A in it. It is placed in a magnetic field of 4.5T
which points East.

a) What force does the wire experience?

b) In what direction is this force?

c) The wire has a mass of 0.02kgm-1. What acceleration will it experience if it is free to move?

5. The wire in question 4 is replaced by a square coil of length 0.2m and width 0.1m. There are 15 turns on the coil
and a current of 5A in it. What is the maximum torque that the coil will experience in the magnetic field?

6. Two industrial cables lie next to each other in a long service duct that is 150m long. The wires carry currents of
100A in the first one and 250A in the second one.

a) If the wires are 30cm apart what force is on them.

b) Both cables carry current to the same paper mill. Is the force between them attractive or repulsive?

c) What is the strength of the magnetic field due to the first cable, 30cm away from it?

d) Sketch the shape of the magnetic field around the two wires, shown end on in the diagram. (Assume the current is
going into the page.)

7. A magnetic field of strength 3.6T is directed across the page as shown. A current of 3A flows up the page in a 5m
length of wire.

a) What is the size of the force on the wire?

b) In which direction is the force exerted?

c) If the wire has a mass of 0.010kg what acceleration will it experience if it is free to move?

8. A wire is 3.0 m long. It carries a current of 2.5 A. It experiences a force of 12 N when it is in a

magnetic field. The field is at right angles to the wire. What is the strength of the magnetic field?

9. The earth's magnetic field is about 0.5 x 10-5 T. What maximum force can a 50 m length of cable experience if it
is carrying 100 A? in what direction must the cable lie for the force to be a maximum?

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Tonga High School F6 Physics 2022 Compiled by Gerard Tupou