SHS

General Physics 2
Quarter 3: Week 7 - Module 7
Magnetic Field Vector
STEM GENERAL PHYSICS 2
Grade 11/12 Quarter 3: Week 7 - Module 7: Magnetic Field Vector
First Edition, 2021

Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: Kimberly M. Casanillo, SST-I

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team

Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos Jr., P II

Management Team:

Atty. Donato D. Balderas, Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent

Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, Ph.D

Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

German E. Flora, Ph.D, CID Chief

Virgilio C. Boado, Ph.D, EPS in Charge of LRMS

Rominel S. Sobremonte, Ed.D, EPS in Charge of Science

Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II

Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II
 Target

A lodestone is a very rare form of the mineral magnetite that occurs naturally
as a permanent magnet. It attracts metallic iron as well as fragments of ordinary
‘inert’ magnetite.
According to a legend, mariners believed that Mountain of Lodestone do exist.
If a ship gets close to it, the mountain would attract the ship due to the iron nails
and bolts used in its construction. The mountain could wreck the ship or pull it
inside. It seems to be similar to Bermuda Triangle in our times because ships that
were lost in the sea and disappeared believed to have been pulled to this mountain.
This is just a legend but it actually introduces us to the concept of magnetic field.
In your previous lesson, you have studied how electric field can be produced
by a charge and how electric fields lead to forces on electric charge. In this lesson,
we will consider how magnetic fields are produced and how it can produce force on
moving charges.
After finishing this Learning Material, you are expected to:
1. Evaluate the magnetic field vector at a given point in space due to a moving
point charge, an infinitesimal current element, or a straight current-carrying
conductor (STEM_GP12EMIIIh-60)
2. Calculate the magnetic field due to one or more straight wire conductors using
the superposition principle (STEM_GP12EMIIIi-62)
3. Calculate the force per unit length on a current carrying wire due to the
magnetic field produced by other current-carrying wires (STEM_GP12EMIIIi-
63)
4. Evaluate the magnetic field vector at any point along the axis of a circular
current loop (STEM_GP12EMIIIi-64)
5. Solve problems involving magnetic fields, forces due to magnetic fields and
the motion of charges and current-carrying wires in contexts such as, but
not limited to, determining the strength of Earth’s magnetic field, mass
spectrometers, and solenoids. (STEM_GP12EMIIIi-66)
 Jumpstart
Before moving on, assess how much you know about this topic.
Answer the pretest on the next page in a separate sheet of paper.

I. MULTIPLE CHOICE. Read carefully each item. Write the letter of the best
answer for each item.

______1. Which of the following CANNOT produce a magnetic field?

A. Earth B. magnet
C. electric charge at rest D. electric charge at motion

______2. Jerome sprinkles iron filings on a piece of cardboard placed on top of a

bar magnet. Which configuration will the iron filings take?

N S N S

A. B.
.
D. S N
N S
B.

______3. Which compass is the needle pointing in the direction of the magnetic field
produced by the current flowing through the straight wire?

A. Compass 1 B. Compass 2 C. Compass 3 D. Compass 4

______4. What path does a charged particle travel when it moves parallel to the
direction of a magnetic field?
A. Circular B. Helical B. Hysteresis D. Straight
______5. How much current is flowing in a wire 5.0 m long if the maximum force on
it is 0.625 N when placed in a uniform 0.0900-T field?
A. 1.37 A B. 1.38 A C. 1.39 A D. 1.40 A
II. TRUE or FALSE: Write TRUE if the statement is correct; otherwise, write
FALSE.
______1. The force is maximum if the current is parallel to the field lines.
______2. A magnetic force is exerted only if the particle is moving.
______3. A magnetic force always exerts a force on a charged particle.
______4. The magnetic field of a current-carrying wire decreases inversely with the
distance from the wire.
______5. The force on the moving charge depends on the particle’s velocity.

III. JUSTIFY
Which of the illustrations below is an accurate representation of the magnetic field
of a bar magnet? Explain your answer.

a) b)

Discover

Magnetic Field
An electric field surrounds an electric charge, in the same way, a magnetic
field surrounds a magnet. A magnetic field is a region of space where a magnet is
capable of exerting force on a magnetic material.
Magnetic field is defined in terms of the force exerted on an electric charge
moving in the field. Mathematically it can be expressed as,
𝑭
𝑩=
𝒒𝒗 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
Where: F = force, Newtons (N)
q = charge, Coulombs (C)
v = velocity of the charge, meter/second (m/s)
𝜃 = angle between v and B
B = magnetic field, newton/(coulomb meter/second) or newton/Ampere-
meter, Tesla (T)

A magnetic field also has a direction. The direction of the magnetic field at a
given location can be defined as the direction that the north pole of a compass needle
would point if placed at that location.
 Figure 1 Figure 2

Photo credits to Physics Principles With Applications

Magnetic field is composed of lines of force and these lines point from the
North pole to the South pole. Figure 1 demonstrates how thin iron filings (acting like
tiny magnets) show the magnetic field lines by lining up like the compass needles.
The magnetic field determined in this way for the field surrounding a bar magnet is
shown in Fig. 2, the lines always point out from the north pole and in toward the
south pole of a magnet (the north pole of a magnetic compass needle is attracted to
the south pole of the magnet). Magnetic field lines continue inside a magnet, as
indicated in Fig. 2, thus magnetic field lines always form closed “loops”.

Magnetic Fields Produce by an Electric Current

Hans Christian Oersted discovered that when a compass is placed near a wire,
the compass needle deflects if (and only if) the wire carries an electric current. He
then concluded that an electric current produces a magnetic field.

Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

Photo credits to Physics Principles With Applications

A compass needle placed near a straight section of current-carrying wire

experiences a force, causing the needle to align tangent to a circle around the wire,
as shown in Figure 3. Thus, the magnetic field lines produced by a current in a
straight wire are in the form of circles with the wire at their center, Figures 4 and 5.
But how do we determine the direction they circulate?
The direction of the magnetic field produced by a current can be determine
from the Right-Hand Rule. Grasp the wire with your right hand so that your thumb
points in the direction of the conventional (positive) current I; then your fingers will
encircle the wire in the direction of the magnetic field B.
Magnetic Force on a Current-Carrying Wire and on a Moving
Charge
As shown by Oersted, current-carrying wire exerts a force on a magnet like a
compass needle. By Newton’s Third Law, the reverse can be true that a magnet can
exert a force on a current-carrying wire. This force F is proportional to the length L
of the wire, current I in the wire, magnetic field B and the angle 𝜃 between the current
and the magnetic field. Thus, the force on a wire carrying a current I with length l in
a uniform magnetic field B may be written in an equation as,
𝑭 = 𝑰𝒍𝑩𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
Where: F = force, Newtons (N)
I = current, Ampere (A)
v = velocity of the charge, meter/second (m/s)
𝜃 = angle between v and B
B = magnetic field, newton/(coulomb meter/second) or newton/Ampere-
meter, Tesla (T)
When the current is perpendicular to the field lines (𝜃 = 90° 𝑎𝑛𝑑 sin 90° = 1),
the force is strongest. When the current is parallel to the magnetic field lines (𝜃 = 0°),
there is no force at all.
Since a current in a wire consists of moving electric charges, we expect that
freely moving charged particles q (not in a wire) with a velocity v would also
experience a force F when passing through a magnetic field. Suppose that a charge
covers distance L in time t.
Recall that particle of charge q pass by a given point in time t, constitute to
𝐼 = 𝑞/𝑡; then replacing 𝐿 by 𝑣𝑡 and I by q/t in the equation𝐹 = 𝐼𝐿𝐵𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃. The force on
moving charge can be expressed as.
𝑭 = 𝒒𝒗𝑩𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
Where: F = force, Newtons (N)
q = charge, Coulombs (C)
v = velocity of the charge, meter/second (m/s)
𝜃 = angle between v and B
B = magnetic field, newton/(coulomb meter/second) or newton/Ampere-
meter, Tesla (T)
The angle between v and B determines the path of the charged particle. The
force is greatest when the angle is 90° and the particle moves in a circle. The particle
experienced no force at all and moves in a straight line when the angle is 0 or 180°.
If the angle is not 0, 90° or 180°, the particle moves in a helical path.
The magnetic force exerted on a current-carrying wire and on a moving charge
is perpendicular to the direction of the current I (or L) and magnetic field B, and to
the velocity v and magnetic field B.
The direction of the force is given by another Right-hand rule, as illustrated
on Figure 6. Orient your right hand until your outstretched fingers can point in the
direction of the conventional current I or velocity v, and when you bend your fingers
they point in the direction of the magnetic field lines, B. Then your outstretched
thumb will point in the direction of the force F on the wire.
Sample Problems for Magnetic force on a current-carrying wire
1. A wire carrying a steady (dc) 30-A current has a length l= 15 cm between the pole
faces of a magnet. The wire is at an angle 𝜃 = 60° to the field. The magnetic field is
approximately uniform at 0.90 T. Ignoring the field beyond the pole pieces. Determine
the magnitude and direction of the force on the wire.
Given:
𝐼 = 30 𝐴 𝑙 = 15 𝑐𝑚 = 0.15 𝑚 𝐵 = 0.90 𝑇 𝜃 = 60°
Find: F
Solution:
𝐹 = 𝐼𝑙𝐵𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
= (30 𝐴)(0.15 𝑚)(0.90 𝑇)(𝑠𝑖𝑛60°)
= 𝟑. 𝟓𝟏 𝑵
Using right-hand-rule-2 to find the direction of F, hold your right hand flat,
pointing your fingers in the direction of the current, then bend your fingers (maybe
needing to rotate your hand). Your thumb then points into the page, which is thus
the direction of the force F.

2. The force on a 0.80 m wire that is perpendicular to Earth’s magnetic field is 0.12
N. What is the current in the wire? Use 5 × 10−5 𝑇 for Earth’s magnetic field.
Given:
𝑙 = 0.80 𝑚 𝐵 = 5 × 10−5 𝑇 𝐹 = 0.12 𝑁
Find: 𝐼 =?
Solution:
𝐹 = 𝐼𝑙𝐵
𝐹 0.12 𝑁
𝐼= = −5 = 𝟑. 𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝑨
𝑙𝐵 (0.80 𝑚)(5 × 10 𝑇)

3. The force acting on a wire that is at right angles to a 0.80-T magnetic field is 3.6
N. The current in the wire is 7.5 A. How long is the wire?
Given:
𝐼 = 7.5 𝐴 𝐵 = 0.80 𝑇 𝐹 = 3.6 𝑁
Find: 𝑙 =?
Solution:
𝐹 = 𝐼𝑙𝐵
𝐹 3.6 𝑁
𝑙= = = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟎 𝒎
𝐵𝐼 (0.80 𝑇)(7.5 𝐴)
Sample problems for Magnetic force on a moving charge

1. What is the force of an electron that moves with a speed of 106 𝑚/𝑠 perpendicular
to a magnetic field of 0.5 T. The charge of an electron is 1.6 × 10−19 𝐶.
Given:
𝑣 = 106 𝑚/𝑠 𝐵 = 0.5 𝑇 𝑞 = 1.6 × 10−19 𝐶
Find: F
Solution:
𝐹 = 𝑞𝑣𝐵
= (1.6 × 10−19 𝐶)(106 𝑚/𝑠)(0.5 𝑇)
= 𝟖 × 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟑 𝑵
Using the Right-hand rule, the direction of the force is outwards the paper.

2. A singly ionized particle (𝑞 = 1.60 × 10−19 𝐶) experiences a force of 4.1 × 10−13 𝑁 when
it travels at right angle through a 0.61-T magnetic field. What is the velocity of the
particle?
Given:
𝐹 = 4.1 × 10−13 𝑁 𝐵 = 0.61 𝑇 𝑞 = 1.60 × 10−19 𝐶
 Solution:
𝐹 = 𝑞𝑣𝐵
𝐹 4.1 × 10−13 𝑁
𝑣= =
𝑞𝐵 (. 60 × 10−19 𝐶)(0.61 𝑇)
= 𝟒. 𝟐 × 𝟏𝟎𝟖 𝒎/𝒔
Summary of Right- hand Rules (RHR)

Physical Situation Example How to Orient Result

Right Hand
1. Magnetic field Wrap fingers Fingers curl in
produced by around wire with direction of B
current (RHR 1) thumb pointing in
direction of current
I

2. Magnetic force on Fingers first point Thumb points in

a current- straight along direction of force
carrying wire current I, then bend F
(RHR 2) along magnetic field
B

3. Magnetic force on Fingers point along Thumb points

a moving charge particle’s velocity v, in direction of
(RHR 3) then along B the force F

Photo credits to Physics Principles With Applications

 Explore

Magnetic field exists in a region of space if a moving charge

there experiences a force due to its motion.
Work on the following activities to master and strengthen the basic
concepts you have learned from this lesson.

General Direction. Solve the following problems systematically. Use another sheet of
paper for your solution.

Activity 1. Magnetic force on a current-carrying wire

1. A copper is placed in the center of an air
gap between two magnetic poles, as shown in the
figure. The field is confined to the gap and has a
strength of 1.6 T.
a. Determine the force on the wire when the
switch is open.
b. Determine the force on the wire when the
switch is closed.

Photo credits to Physics: Principles and

Problems
2. A 15 A current-carrying wire has a length of 27 cm in a magnetic field of
0.79 T. Find the force on the wire when it makes the following angles with
the magnetic field lines of
a. 90°
b. 45°
c. 180°
d. 0°

Activity 2. Magnetic force on a moving charge

1. A particle with the same charge as an electron experiences a force of

5.2 × 10−12 𝑁 and traveling at a speed of 4.21 × 107 𝑚/𝑠 at right angles to a
magnetic field.
a. How strong is the magnetic field?
b. What does its acceleration if its mass is 1.88 × 10−28 𝑘𝑔?
2. A force of 5.78 × 10−16 𝑁 acts on an unknown particle moving at an angle of
90° through a magnetic field. If the velocity of the particle is 5.65 × 104 𝑚/𝑠
and 3.20 × 10−2 𝑇 , how many elementary charges does it carry?
 Deepen

I. Concept Mapping

Complete the following concept map using the following Right-Hand Rule, F=qvB,
and F=IlB

Force resulting from

a magnetic field

exerted on a

has a has a has a

given by given by
given by

F=IlB Right-Hand Rule F=qvB

II. Problem Solving

Solve the following problems systematically. Use another sheet of paper for your
solution.

1. A wire that is 40 cm long is parallel to a 0.67-T uniform magnetic field. There

is 5.6 A current through the wire. How much force acts on the wire?
2. A high-speed electron having a mass of 9 × 10−31 𝑘𝑔 is moving at right angle to
0.75-T magnetic field and has a speed of 2.5 × 107 𝑚/𝑠. What is the size of the
force acts on the high-speed electron? What is the magnitude of acceleration
of the particle?
 Gauge

Direction. Select the BEST answer. Write the corresponding CAPITAL LETTER of
your choice in a separate sheet of paper.

_____ 1. A magnet is surrounded by a magnetic field which is shown by lines of

force. Which one of the following diagrams correctly represents the magnetic
lines of force around a magnet?
A. B.

S N

S N

C. D.

S N

S N

_____ 2. Why is the magnetic field inside the loop stronger than the magnetic field
outside?
A. The magnetic field lines are concentrated outside the loop
B. The magnetic field lines are concentrated inside the loop
C. The magnetic field lines exist inside the loop
D. The magnetic field lines exist outside the loop

_____ 3. Which direction, in relation to magnetic field line, can produce a zero
magnetic force on a current carrying wire?
A. Parallel B. Helical
C. Perpendicular D. Circular

_____ 4. A wire that is 2.00 m long and carrying a current of 15.0 A is at 90° to a
uniform magnetic field. The force acting on the wire is 0.70 N. What is the
strength of the magnetic field?
A. 0.01 T B. 0.02 T C. 0.03 T D. 0.04 T
_____ 5. A electron passes through a magnetic field at 60° to the field at a velocity of
3.5 × 106 𝑚/𝑠. What is the magnitude of the force acting on the electron having
a 0.45 T magnetic field?
A. 2. 18 × 10−10 𝑁 B. 2. 18 × 10−12 𝑁
C. 2. 18 × 10 −11 𝑁 D. 2. 18 × 10−13 𝑁

II. TRUE or FALSE: Write TRUE if the statement is correct; otherwise, write
FALSE.
_____ 1. The magnetic force that Earth exerts on a compass needle is less than the
force that the compass needle exerts on Earth.

_____ 2. Grasp the wire with your right hand so that your thumb points in the
direction of the magnetic field B; then your fingers will encircle the wire in
the direction of the conventional (positive) current.

_____ 3. Magnetic field exists in a region of space if a moving charge there experiences
a force due to its motion.

_____ 4. The force is at its minimum when the angle is 90° and the particle moves in
a circle.

_____ 5. The magnetic force exerted on a moving charge is perpendicular to the

velocity v and magnetic field B.

III. JUSTIFY
How does the strength of magnetic field, 1 cm from a current-carrying wire, compare
with each of the following?
a. the strength of the field that is 3 cm from the wire
b. the strength of the field that is 4 cm from the wire
Jumpstart
I. II.
1. C. 1. FALSE
2. D. 2. TRUE
3. B. 3. FALSE
4. D 4. TRUE
5. C 5. TRUE
III.
A. The lines always point out from the north pole and in toward the south pole of a
magnet (the north pole of a magnetic compass needle is attracted to the south pole
of the magnet).
Explore
Activity 1.
1. a. 0 N. With no current, there is no magnetic field produced by the wire and copper is not a
magnetic material
b. 0.52 N
2. a. 3.2 N, b. 2.26 N, c. 0 N, d. 0 N
Activity 2
1. a. 0.77 T, b. 2.77 × 1016 𝑚/𝑠 2
2. 2 charges
Deepen
I. Concept Map
II. Problem Solving
1. If the wire is parallel to the field, so no force is produced. F= 0 N
2. a. 3 × 10−12 𝑁 b. 3.33 × 1018 𝑚/𝑠 2
Gauge
I. II.
1. A. 1. F
2. B. 2. F
3. A. 3. T
4. B. 4. F
5. D. 5. T
III.
a. Because magnetic field strength varies inversely with the distance from the wire, the
magnetic field at 1 cm will be three times as strong as the magnetic field at 3 cm
b. Because magnetic field strength varies inversely with the distance from the wire, the
magnetic field at 1 cm will be four times as strong as the magnetic field at 3 cm
Answer Key
References
Books:
Giancoli, Douglas C. 2014, Physics Principle with Applications
Glencoe, McGraw Hill. Physics: Principles and Problems
Navaza, Delia C., Valdes, Bienvinido J. 2005. Physics. Quezon City. Phoenix
Publishing House, Inc.
Santos, Gil Nonato C., Ocampo, Jorge P. 2003. e-Physic. Sampaloc, Manila. Rex Book
Store, Inc.