Introductory Physics II

Chapter 27 - part 3
Force and torque on a current loop in magnetic
field. Magnetic moment

Lecture 16 – March 14
Outline of chapter 27
• Magnets and magnetic poles
• Magnetic field
• Force on charges moving in magnetic field - Lorentz force
• Motion in magnetic fields
• Applications: velocity selector and mass spectrometer
• Force on current carrying conductors (straight and loops)
• Torque on a current loop
• Magnetic moment of a loop

New concepts/quantities
• Magnetic poles Math review:
• Magnetic induction (B) • Cross product of vectors
• Right-hand rule • Circular motion
• Lorentz force
 Magnetic Force on a Current
𝐹Ԧ = 𝐿𝐼Ԧ × 𝐵 or 𝐹Ԧ = 𝐼𝐿 × 𝐵
In either case, 𝐼Ԧ 𝑜𝑟 𝐿 point in the direction
of the current.

• The force is largest when the field is perpendicular

to the current.
• The force is zero when the field is parallel to the
current.
 Force and torque on a current loop
(uniform magnetic field)
Top view Side view

The loop has length a The loop is angled with

and width b. respect to the magnetic field
 Force and torque on a current loop
(uniform magnetic field)

|F1| = |F3| = aiB since the current and the field are perpendicular.

|F2| = |F4| = biB sin(90º – ) = biB cos 

Force and torque on a current loop
(uniform magnetic field)
• F1 and F3 cancel out.
• F2 and F4 also cancel out.
• There is no net force on the
loop.

• 𝐹Ԧ1 𝑎𝑛𝑑𝐹Ԧ3 exert a torque about the central

axis.
• We will calculate this torque.
• The torque is zero for 𝐹Ԧ2 𝑎𝑛𝑑𝐹Ԧ4 for the
axis going through the middle of the
sides b.
 Force and torque on a current loop
(uniform magnetic field)

|F1| = |F3| = aiB

𝑏
𝑟=
2

Just the force The torque is labeled with a prime (𝜏′) because this is just
the torques on a single loop.
 Force and torque on a current loop
(uniform magnetic field)

 = aiBb sin   = (ab)iB sin 

(ab) is the area of the loop

If the loop consists of N turns, the total torque is the sum of N

identical torques calculated above. Hence,

 = N = N (ab)iB sin 

The sin 𝜃 term suggests that the torque (a vector) may be the cross product of two
vectors. One of them may be the magnetic field (B).
 Vector area of the loop

We can write the vector area of the

loop with
• magnitude equal to the area
• direction which is perpendicular
to the area
• pointing in the direction indicated
by the right-hand rule (fingers
curled in the direction of the
current).
Force and torque on a current loop
 Magnetic Dipoles

We define the Magnetic (Dipole) Moment of the loop to be

This is analogous to the case for an electric dipole:

The analogy can be extended to the energy of the dipole in the field.

Electric dipole in electric field Magnetic dipole in magnetic field

 Magnetic Dipoles
Stability in terms of energy

U = –μB stable equilibrium

(angle: zero)
U=0

U = +μB unstable equilibrium

(angle:180o)
 Example 27-3

An electron with energy 1.20 keV circles in a plane

perpendicular to a magnetic field. The radius of the
orbit is 25.0 cm.

Calculate:
a) electron speed
b) magnetic field
c) frequency of circling
d) period of the motion
 27-3

a)
KE = 1.20 × 103 × 1.60 × 10−19 J = ½mv2

2 1.92 10−16
v= −31
= 2.0510 m/s
7

9.1110

2 mv2 mv
b) qvB =
mv B= =
r qvr qr
 27-3

9.1110−31  2.05308 107

b) B=
1.60 10−19 0.25
B = 4.68 10 T = 0.468 mT
−4

c)

1 v mv2 mv v qB
f = = B= = =
T 2r qvr qr r m
 27-3

c)
qB
f =
2 m

1.60 10−19  4.67590 10−4

f = = 1.3110 Hz
7

2  9.1110 −31

f = 13.1MHz
 27-3

d)

1 1
T= = 7
= 7.6510 s = 76.5 ns
−8
f 1.3070310