The force on a given length of wire in a magnetic field increase when:

 the current in the wire increases

 the strength of the magnetic field increases

For any given combination of current and magnetic field strength, the force is greatest when the
direction of the current is 90° to the direction of the magnetic field. There is no motor effect force if the
current and magnetic field are parallel to each other.

The direction of the force can be found using Fleming’s left-hand rule.

Hold your thumb, forefinger and second finger at right angles to each other:

 the thumb shows the direction of the motor effect force on the conductor carrying the current
 the forefinger is lined up with magnetic field lines pointing from north to south
 the second finger is lined up with the current pointing from positive to negative

Calculating electric force

To calculate the force on a wire carrying a current at right angles to a magnetic field, use the equation:

force on a conductor (at right angles to a magnetic field) carrying a current = magnetic flux density ×
current × length

This is when:

force is measured in newtons (N)

magnetic flux density (magnetic field strength) is measured in tesla (T)

current is measured in amps (A)

length is measured in metres (m)

Example

2 A flows through a 50 cm wire. Calculate the force acting on the wire when it is placed at right angles in
a 0.4 T magnetic field.

First convert the units:

50 cm = 50 ÷ 100 = 0.5 m

Then substitute the values into the equation:

force on a conductor carrying a current = magnetic flux density × current × length

force = 0.4 × 2 × 0.5

force = 0.4 N

Question
A 5.0 cm wire carries a current of 0.75 A. Calculate the force acting on the wire when it is placed at right
angles in a 0.60 T magnetic field.