Force on a Current-Carrying Conductor in a Magnetic Field

Introduction

Every day, new technological components are developed as technology advances throughout the globe. Electricity powers every other home, public space, and industry. People utilise electricity, and they use it for a variety of things. But how is it that this electric current has a particular level of power and continues to flow without any breaks? It is done with the aid of an object known as a conductor. Electric current may readily flow via the conductor. A conductor is built into anything that uses electricity to operate. These currents produce forces that flow in one direction. Let’s discover more about it.

Current Carrying Conductor 

A conductor that is transporting current can withstand the current’s force. Each current has a specific voltage that defines the electrical power. Electric bulbs can burst at high voltage, whereas low voltage results in weak electric current. There is no electric field surrounding the conductors. Unless a charge or electric field is given to it, it is neutral. The conductor’s sole responsibility is to transmit the current uninterruptedly to each source.

Magnetic Field due to Current Carrying Conductor.

A conductor that is conducting current generates a magnetic field everywhere around it. A current, as we all know, is a net charge that moves across a medium. The presence of moving charges in a conductor is a prerequisite for the creation of magnetic fields. Due to the magnetic fields‘ extra charge, an electric field is created. All of these elements help the current flow through a conductor smoothly.

Force on a Current Carrying Conductor in a Magnetic Field

A conductor experiences forces because of the external magnetic field. When two magnetic fields interact, there will be attraction and repulsion (according to their properties) based on the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of the current. That’s how a conductor experiences force. This phenomenon is termed Magnetic Lorentz force. This was found by H. A. Lorentz. This force is perpendicular to the direction of the charge and also to the direction of the magnetic field. It is a vector combination of the two forces.

The equation of the force on a conductor having a charge q and moving through a magnetic field strength of B is given as,

F = qvBsinθ

This equation can also be written as,

Where L is the length of the wire and t is the time. Rearranging the above equation, we get,

The Direction of a Force in a Magnetic Field

It is believed that the force acts perpendicular to the current’s direction. The left-hand rule is used to accomplish this. John Ambrose Fleming established this regulation. It is important to remember that the magnetic force is orthogonal to both the direction of motion and the charge velocity. Understanding which direction is applied to it is made easier by the left-hand rule.

State The Rule to Determine the Force or Direction

The direction of force, as we have seen in the article above, is perpendicular to both the magnetic field and the direction of the current. And the Right-hand rule-I decides this. The best mnemonic to remember the direction of force and current flow through the right hand is this example. The details are as follows:

  • Place a hand between the magnetic field.
  • The direction of the thumb points to the direction of the current (I).
  • The fingers are facing the direction of the magnetic field (B).
  • Now, the palm is facing the direction of the force (F).

Fleming’s Left-Hand Rule Definition

The current-carrying conductor will feel a force that is perpendicular to both the direction of the current and the magnetic field if it is put in the external magnetic field, according to a rule developed by John Ambrose Fleming. According to Fleming’s Left-Hand Rule, the thumb points in the direction of magnetic force, the forefinger points in the direction of the magnetic field, and the middle finger points in the direction of current if our forefinger, middle finger, and thumb are positioned perpendicular to one another. The late 19th century saw the development of this regulation.

Summary

Conductors have moving charges that are required for the magnetic field. Force moves in a perpendicular direction to the magnetic field and electric current. The magnetic field also exerts equal and opposite force in the current-carrying conductor.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an Insulator?

Ans: We are aware that conductors enable uninterrupted electric current flow through them. However, it may also be prevented from flowing. Insulators carry out the work. Insulators are regarded as poor conductors of electricity because they do not permit electrons or atoms of materials to travel through them. Additionally, insulators have high resistance. Insulators still have some electric charge even if they prevent current passage. As a result, its primary use is high voltage resistance. Some examples are non-metals.

2. What are some High-Conduction Metals?

Ans: Metals that conduct heat and electricity in a very efficient way are called high-conduction metals, such that of gold, silver, and copper. In these materials copper is for construction purposes, making wires, cables, motors etc. because it’s cheaper than gold and silver. However, gold is used at very specific places due to its cost, and it is robust to environmental hazards like sulphur, oxygen, and water, whereas silver and copper react with environmental hazards.

3. What is a Semiconductor?

Ans: Semiconductors are materials that combine conductivity and insulator properties. Due to their capacity to both deliver and resist current flow, semiconductors are primarily employed in the production of electronic products and equipment. Doping the impurities into the crystal’s structure can change them. Silicon and gallium arsenide are two common semiconductors.

Magnetic Field Due to a Current-Carrying Conductor

Introduction

H.C. Oersted discovered the magnetic effect surrounding the current-carrying conductor in the 19th century. The region around a magnet or current-carrying conductor where another object feels a magnetic force caused by the magnet or current-carrying body is known as the magnetic field. A current-carrying conductor creates a magnetic field all around it homogeneously due to the flow of current-carrying electrons, which generates a magnetic field, and its magnitude is proportional to the current in the conductor. Therefore, the distance from the current-carrying conductor and the total current in the wire control the magnetic force felt by any object near the current-carrying conductor.

What is a Magnetic Field?

An invisible field called a magnetic field surrounds a magnet or a magnetic substance. The magnetic force operates in this field. Other magnetic objects can be drawn into or pushed away from this field by this magnetic force. A magnetic field develops when electrons move in a certain direction having a negative charge. A magnetic field can be represented by drawing magnetic field lines that are continuous lines originating from the north pole of the magnet and migrating towards the south forming continuous loops. Inside a magnet, this orientation is the opposite.

Magnetic Field due to Current Carrying Conductor

We are aware that stationary charges generate an electric field whose strength is proportional to the charge. The same theory may be used in this situation. Moving charges generate a magnetic field proportional to the strength of the current, which causes the conductor carrying the current to generate a magnetic field everywhere around it. Electrons are responsible for producing this magnetic field. Due to its magnitude and direction, the magnetic field can be considered a vector quantity. The magnetic field’s direction is parallel to the wire’s length. It may be provided using the right-hand thumb rule. According to this rule, if we grasp the conductor carrying the current in our right hand and point our thumb in the direction of the current, our curled fingers will point in the direction of the magnetic field lines. This is seen in the diagram below.

Magnetic Field due to a Current-Carrying Wire

Consider a current carrying wire having a current I, then the magnetic field strength B, at a distance r from the wire can be estimated using the formula such that

The direction of the produced magnetic field due to a current-carrying wire is estimated with the help of the right-hand thumb rule, as shown in the below figure.

Magnetic Force on a Current-Carrying Wire

The equation of the force on a conductor having a charge q and moving through a magnetic field strength of B is given as,

F = qvBsinθ

This equation can also be written as,

F =

Where L is the length of the wire and t is the time. Rearranging the above equation, we get,

formula for Magnetic Force on a Current-Carrying Wire

Relation between the Current and Magnetic Field 

The relation between current and magnetic field is given by Biot Savart’s Law, such that,

Relation between the Current and Magnetic Field 

Summary

A magnetic field can be created when electrons moving in a certain direction have a negative charge. An invisible field called a magnetic field surrounds a magnet or a magnetic substance. The magnetic force operates in this field. The relationship between the magnetic field and current strength is direct.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the law of Biot Savart?

Ans: By this law, the magnetic field generated due to a small current-carrying element depends upon the square of the distance between the point and the current-carrying element, the magnitude of the current, the length of the current element, and the sine of the angle formed by the current’s direction and the line connecting it. This law is comparable to Coulomb’s law in electrostatics. The vector quantity is represented by this element.

2. What is the Right-Hand Rule of Fleming?

Ans: When our thumb, index finger, and middle finger are arranged so that they are all perpendicular to one another, this law states that the thumb indicates the direction of the conductor’s motion, the middle finger gives the direction of the current induced, and the index finger gives the direction of the magnetic field. Fleming’s Right-Hand Rule determines the direction of the current that develops when a conductor moves through a magnetic field. This principle is utilised in electrical generators.

3. How Current Produces a Magnetic Field?

Ans: Ampere recognized that whenever an electrical charge is moving, a magnetic field is created. Similar to how an electrical current passing through a wire creates a magnetic field, the spinning, and circling of an atom’s nucleus accomplish the same. The magnetic field’s orientation is determined by the spin and orbit directions.