General Physics 2

Lecture 9 Magnetic Fields

- Particle in a magnetic Field

- Motion of a Charged Particle in a
Uniform Magnetic Field

1
 Magnetism
Magnetic effects from natural magnets have been known for a long
time. Recorded observations from the Greeks more than 2500
years ago.

The word magnetism comes from the Greek word for a certain type
of stone (lodestone) containing iron oxide found in Magnesia, a
district in northern Greece.

Properties of lodestones: could exert forces on similar stones and

could impart this property (magnetize) to a piece of iron it touched.

Small sliver of lodestone suspended with a string will always align

itself in a north-south direction—it detects the earth’s magnetic field.

Our studies in electricity and magnetism have focused on the

electric fields produced by stationary charges and the magnetic
fields produced by moving charges 2
 Bar Magnet
Bar magnet ... two poles: N and S
Like poles repel; Unlike poles attract.
Magnetic Field lines: (defined in same way as electric field lines,
direction and density)

S N

• Does this remind you of a similar case in electrostatics?

3
 Electric Field Lines
of an Electric Dipole

Magnetic Field Lines

of a bar magnet S N

4
 Magnetic Monopoles
Perhaps there exist magnetic charges, just like electric charges. Such an
entity would be called a magnetic monopole (having + or - magnetic
charge).
How can you isolate this magnetic charge?

Try cutting a bar magnet in half:

S N S N S N
Even an individual
electron has a
magnetic “dipole”!

• Many searches for magnetic monopoles—the existence of which

would explain (within framework of QM) the quantization of electric
charge (argument of Dirac)
• No monopoles have ever been found!
5
 Source of Magnetic Fields?

What is the source of magnetic fields, if not magnetic charge?

Answer: electric charge in motion!
◼ e.g., current in wire surrounding cylinder (solenoid)
produces very similar field to that of bar magnet.
Therefore, understanding source of field generated by bar magnet lies
in understanding currents at atomic level within bulk matter.

Orbits of electrons about nuclei

Intrinsic “spin” of
electrons (more
important effect)
6
Magnetic Fields in analogy with Electric Fields

7
 Magnetic Materials
(a simple look at an advanced topic)

• Materials can be classified by how they respond to an

applied magnetic field, Bapp.
• Paramagnetic (aluminum, tungsten, oxygen,…)
• Atomic magnetic dipoles (~atomic bar magnets) tend to line up
with the field, increasing it. But thermal motion randomizes
their directions, so only a small effect persists: Bind ~ Bapp •10-5
• Diamagnetic (gold, copper, water,…)
• The applied field induces an opposing field; again, this is
usually very weak; Bind ~ -Bapp •10-5 [Exception: Superconductors
exhibit perfect diamagnetism → they exclude all magnetic fields]
• Ferromagnetic (iron, cobalt, nickel,…)
• Somewhat like paramagnetic, the dipoles prefer to line up with
the applied field. But there is a complicated collective effect
due to strong interactions between neighboring dipoles → they
tend to all line up the same way.
• Very strong enhancement. Bind ~ Bapp •10+5 8
 Ferromagnets, cont.
• Even in the absence of an applied B, the dipoles tend to
strongly align over small patches – “domains”. Applying an
external field, the domains align to produce a large net
magnetization.
Magnetic
Domains

• “Soft” ferromagnets
• The domains re-randomize when the field is removed

• “Hard” ferromagnets
• The domains persist even when the field is removed
• “Permanent” magnets
• Domains may be aligned in a different direction by applying a new
field
• Domains may be re-randomized by sudden physical shock
• If the temperature is raised above the “Curie point” (770o for iron),
the domains will also randomize → paramagnet 9
 Mini-quiz

1A •Which kind of material would you use in a video tape?

(a) diamagnetic (c) “soft” ferromagnetic

(b) paramagnetic (d) “hard” ferromagnetic

1B •How does a magnet attract screws, paper clips,

refrigerators, etc., when they are not “magnetic”?

10
 Mini-quiz
1A •Which kind of material would you use in a video tape?

(a) diamagnetic (c) “soft” ferromagnetic

(b) paramagnetic (d) “hard” ferromagnetic

Diamagnetism and paramagnetism are far too weak to be used

for a video tape. Since we want the information to remain on
the tape after recording it, we need a “hard” ferromagnet.
These are the key to the information age — cassette tapes,
hard drives, ZIP disks, credit card strips, …

11
 Mini-quiz

1B •How does a magnet attract screws, paper clips,

refrigerators, etc., when they are not “magnetic”?

The materials are all “soft” ferromagnets. The external

field temporarily aligns the domains so there is a net
dipole, which is then attracted to the bar magnet.
- The effect vanishes with no applied B field
- It does not matter which pole is used.

S N End of paper clip

12
 A “bit” of history

IBM introduced the first

hard disk in 1957, when
data usually was stored on
tapes. It consisted of 50
platters, 24 inch diameter,
and was twice the size of
a refrigerator.

It cost $35,000 annually in leasing fees (IBM would not

sell it outright). It’s total storage capacity was 5 MB, a
huge number for its time!
13
29.1. Analysis Model: Particle in a Magnetic Field

14
 Magnetic Field Direction

Figure 29.1 Compass needles Figure 29.2 Magnetic field patterns can be
can be used to trace the displayed with iron filings sprinkled on paper near
magnetic field lines in the magnets
15
region outside a bar magnet
 Magnetic Field of the Earth
A small magnetic bar should be said to have north and south seeking
poles. The north of the bar points towards the North of the Earth.
The geographic north corresponds to a south magnetic pole and the
geographic south corresponds to a magnetic north.
The configuration of the Earth magnetic resemble that of a (big) magnetic
bar one would put in its center.

16
Figure 29.3 The Earth’s magnetic field lines
 Magnetic Field of the Earth
Near the ground, the field is NOT parallel to the surface of the Earth.
◼ The angle between the direction of the magnetic field and the horizontal is
called dip angle.
The north and south magnetic pole do not exactly correspond to the south and
north geographic north.
◼ South magnetic pole found (in 1832) to be just north of Hudson bay in Canada
– 1300 miles from the north geographical pole.
The difference between the geographical north and the direction pointed at by a
compass changes from point to point and is called the magnetic declination.
Source of the field : charge-carrying convection
currents in the core of the earth.
◼ In part related to the rotation of the earth
The orientation of the field “flips” and changes
over time – every few million years…
◼ Basalt rocks
Other planets (e.G. Jupiter) are found
to have a magnetic field.

17
Mini-quiz

You travel to Australia for a business trip and bring

along your American-made compass. Does the
compass work correctly in Australia???

18
Mini-quiz

You travel to Australia for a business trip and bring

along your American-made compass. Does the
compass work correctly in Australia???

• No problem using the compass in Australia.

• North pole of the compass will be attracted to the
South geographic pole…
• The vertical component of the field is different
(opposite) but that cannot be detected with normal
operation of the compass.

19
29.1. Analysis Model: Particle in a Magnetic Field

Stationary charged particles do NOT interact with a magnetic

field.
Charge moving through a magnetic field experience a
magnetic force.
Value of the force is maximum when the charge moves
perpendicularly to the field lines.
Value of the force is zero when the charge moves parallel to
the field lines.

20
29.1. Analysis Model: Particle in a Magnetic Field
Magnetic Fields in analogy with Electric Fields

21
29.1. Analysis Model: Particle in a Magnetic Field

22
29.1. Analysis Model: Particle in a Magnetic Field

23
29.1. Analysis Model: Particle in a Magnetic Field
The magnitude of the magnetic force on a charged particle is

The important differences between the electric and magnetic versions of the particle in a
field model:
➢ The electric force vector is along the direction of the electric field, whereas
the magnetic force vector is perpendicular to the magnetic field.
➢ The electric force acts on a charged particle regardless of whether the particle is moving,
whereas the magnetic force acts on a charged particle only when the particle is in
motion.
➢ The electric force does work in displacing a charged particle, whereas the magnetic force
associated with a steady magnetic field does no work when a particle is displaced
because the force is perpendicular to the displacement of its point of application

24
Magnetic Field Units

[F] = newton
[v] = m/s
[q] = C
[B] = tesla (T).
◼ Also called weber (Wb) per square meter.
◼ 1 T = 1 Wb/m2.
◼ 1 T = 1 N s m-1 C-1.
◼ 1 T = 1 N A-1 m-1.
CGS unit is the Gauss (G)
◼ 1 T = 104 G.

25
 Right Hand Rule

Provides a convenient trick to

remember the spatial relationship
between F, v, and B.
Consider the motion of positive
charge
Direction of force reversed if negative
charge

(a) The magnetic force is in the

direction in which your thumb
points
(b) The magnetic force is in the
direction of your palm, as if you
are pushing the particle with your
hand
26
29.1. Analysis Model: Particle in a Magnetic Field

27
29.1. Analysis Model: Particle in a Magnetic Field

Imagine some source (which we will investigate later) establishes a magnetic field
𝐁 throughout space. Now imagine a particle with charge q is placed in that field.
The particle interacts with the magnetic field so that the particle experiences a
magnetic force given by

Examples:
• an ion moves in a circular path in the magnetic
field of a mass spectrometer
• a coil in a motor rotates in response to the
magnetic field in the motor
• a magnetic field is used to separate particles
emitted by radioactive sources
• in a bubble chamber, particles created in collisions
follow curved paths in a magnetic field, allowing the
particles to be identified
28
Example 29.1. An Electron Moving in a Magnetic Field
An electron in an old-style television picture tube moves toward the front of the tube
with a speed of 8.0 x 106 m/s along the x axis (Fig. 29.6). Surrounding the neck of
the tube are coils of wire that create a magnetic field of magnitude 0.025 T, directed
at an angle of 600 to the x axis and lying in the xy plane. Calculate the magnetic force
on the electron.

Figure 29.6 The magnetic force FB acting on the electron is in the negative z
direction when v and B lie in the xy plane
29
Example 29.1. An Electron Moving in a Magnetic Field
An electron in an old-style television picture tube moves toward the front of the tube
with a speed of 8.0 x 106 m/s along the x axis (Fig. 29.6). Surrounding the neck of
the tube are coils of wire that create a magnetic field of magnitude 0.025 T, directed
at an angle of 600 to the x axis and lying in the xy plane. Calculate the magnetic force
on the electron.

30
Example: Proton traveling in Earth’s magnetic field

A proton moves with a speed of 1.0 x 105 m/s through the Earth’s magnetic
field which has a value of 55 mT a particular location. When the proton
moves eastward, the magnetic force acting on it is a maximum, and when it
moves northward, no magnetic force acts on it. What is the strength of the
magnetic force? And what is the direction of the magnetic field?

31
Example: Proton traveling in Earth’s magnetic field

A proton moves with a speed of 1.0 x 105 m/s through the Earth’s magnetic
field which has a value of 55 mT a particular location. When the proton
moves eastward, the magnetic force acting on it is a maximum, and when it
moves northward, no magnetic force acts on it. What is the strength of the
magnetic force? And what is the direction of the magnetic field?

V = 1.0 x 105 m/s

B = 55 mT ( )( ) (
F = 1.6 10−19 C 8.0 106 m / s ( 2.5T ) sin 60 o )
F = qvB sin  −12
= 2.8 10 N
Northward or southward.

32
29.2 Motion of a Charged Particle in a Uniform Magnetic Field
The particle moves in a circle:
➢ The magnetic force FB is perpendicular to v and B
➢  FB  = qvB,
➢ The rotation is:
▪ counterclockwise for a positive charge in a magnetic
field directed into the page.
▪ clockwise for a negative charge in a magnetic field
directed out of the page
➢ Newton’s second law for the particle

➢ The particle moves in a circle, it as a particle in

uniform circular motion and the acceleration with
centripetal acceleration

Figure 29.8 When the velocity of a

charged particle is perpendicular to
a uniform magnetic field, the ➢ The radius of the circular path
particle moves in a circular path in
a plane perpendicular to B
→ The radius of the path is proportional to the linear momentum mv and inversely
proportional to the magnitude of the charge and to the magnitude of the magnetic field 33
29.2 Motion of a Charged Particle in a Uniform Magnetic Field
The angular speed of the particle

The period of the motion

→ The angular speed of the particle and the period of the circular motion do not
depend on the speed of the particle or on the radius of the orbit. The angular speed
 is often referred to as the cyclotron frequency because charged particles circulate
at this angular frequency in the type of accelerator called a cyclotron
➢ A charged particle moves in a uniform magnetic field with its velocity at some
arbitrary angle with respect to B → its path is a helix

Figure 29.9 A charged particle having a velocity vector

that has a component parallel to a uniform magnetic
field moves in a helical path
34
Example 29.2 A Proton Moving Perpendicular to a Uniform Magnetic Field

A proton is moving in a circular orbit of radius 14 cm in a

uniform 0.35 T magnetic field perpendicular to the velocity of
the proton. Find the speed of the proton

35
Example 29.2 A Proton Moving Perpendicular to a Uniform Magnetic Field
A proton is moving in a circular orbit of radius 14 cm in a uniform 0.35 T magnetic
field perpendicular to the velocity of the proton. Find the speed of the proton
➢ The highest possible speed for a particle is the speed of light, 3.00 x 108 m/s, so the speed
of the particle in this problem must come out to be smaller than that value
➢ The proton is described by both the particle in a field model and the particle in uniform
circular motion model

❑ What if an electron, rather than a proton, moves in a direction perpendicular to the same
magnetic field with this same speed? Will the radius of its orbit be different
An electron has a much smaller mass than a proton, so the magnetic force should be able to
change its velocity much more easily than that for the proton. Therefore, we expect the radius
to be smaller

r is proportional to m
q, B, and v the same for the electron as for the proton
the radius will be smaller by the same factor as the ratio of masses me/mp
36
Example 29.3 Bending an Electron Beam
In an experiment designed to measure the magnitude of a uniform magnetic field,
electrons are accelerated from rest through a potential difference of 350 V and then
enter a uniform magnetic field that is perpendicular to the velocity vector of the
electrons. The electrons travel along a curved path because of the magnetic force
exerted on them, and the radius of the path is measured to be 7.5 cm
(A) What is the magnitude of the magnetic field?
(B) What is the angular speed of the electrons?

Figure 29.10 The bending of an electron

beam in a magnetic field 37
Example 29.3 Bending an Electron Beam
In an experiment designed to measure the magnitude of a uniform magnetic field,
electrons are accelerated from rest through a potential difference of 350 V and then
enter a uniform magnetic field that is perpendicular to the velocity vector of the
electrons. The electrons travel along a curved path because of the magnetic force
exerted on them, and the radius of the path is measured to be 7.5 cm
(A) What is the magnitude of the magnetic field?

➢ electrons accelerating from rest due to an electric force and then moving in a circular path
due to a magnetic force
➢ the first part of the problem by modeling an electron and the electric field as an isolated
system in terms of energy
➢ the second part of the problem
as one involving a particle in a field and a particle in uniform circular motion

The electron–electric field system:

38
 Example 29.3 Bending an Electron Beam
In an experiment designed to measure the magnitude of a uniform magnetic field,
electrons are accelerated from rest through a potential difference of 350 V and then
enter a uniform magnetic field that is perpendicular to the velocity vector of the
electrons. The electrons travel along a curved path because of the magnetic force
exerted on them, and the radius of the path is measured to be 7.5 cm
(B) What is the angular speed of the electrons?

The angular speed can be represented as

The electrons travel around the circle 24 million times per second

39
What if a sudden voltage surge causes the accelerating voltage
to increase to 400 V? How does that affect the angular speed of
the electrons, assuming the magnetic field remains constant?
➢ The increase in accelerating voltage V causes the electrons to enter the magnetic field
with a higher speed v
➢ This higher speed causes them to travel in a circle with a larger radius r
➢ The angular speed is the ratio of v to r
➢ Both v and r increase by the same factor, so the effects cancel and the angular speed
remains the same

➢ The cyclotron frequency depends only on the charge q, B, me none of which have
changed
➢ The voltage surge has no effect on the angular speed

40