23 Magnetic fields

OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

Refer to the Physics A datasheet for data, formulae and relationships information.
1 a Describe a rule which may be used to determine the direction of the
magnetic field surrounding a long straight wire carrying an electrical current.

(2 marks)

b Figure 1 shows a long straight wire LM. A current, I, flows in the wire in the
direction indicated.

Figure 1
A magnetic field of flux density, B, is created in the space surrounding
the wire.
Describe how you would investigate the variation of B with the perpendicular
distance, r, from LM. You may add to Figure 1 to aid your description if you
so wish.

(6 marks)

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 23 Magnetic fields
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

c In 1820 the French physicist, Ampere, showed that the flux density around a
I
long straight wire obeyed the formula B  where  is a constant known
2 r
as the permeability of free space. Figure 2 shows a graph of B against
1
obtained from results taken in b when the current in the straight wire was I.
r

Figure 2
i Explain the features of Figure 2 which suggest that the law developed by
Ampere is correct.

(2 marks)

ii Use the graph to determine the value of the current I in the wire.
Permeability of free space 1.26 × 106 H m1

(3 marks)

2 a Define magnetic flux.

(1 mark)

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 23 Magnetic fields
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

b Figure 3 shows a simple transformer.

Figure 3
i The primary coil is connected to an alternating voltage supply.
Explain how an e.m.f. is induced in the secondary coil.

(3 marks)

ii State how you could change the transformer to increase the maximum
e.m.f. induced in the secondary coil.

(1 mark)

c A transformer with 4200 turns in the primary coil is connected to a 230 V

mains supply.
The e.m.f. across the output is 12 V.
Assume the transformer is 100% efficient.
i Calculate the number of turns in the secondary coil.

(2 marks)

ii The transformer output terminals are connected to a lamp using long

leads. The total resistance of the leads is 0.35 . The p.d. across the
lamp is 11.8 V.
Calculate:
the current in the leads connected to the lamp

(2 marks)

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 23 Magnetic fields
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

the power dissipated in the leads.

(2 marks)

OCR Physics A, June 2011

3 a Define torque of a couple.

(1 mark)

b Figure 4 shows a current-carrying square coil placed in a uniform

magnetic field.

Figure 4
The length of each side of the coil is 0.015 m. The plane of the coil is parallel
to the magnetic field. The magnetic field is at right angles to the section AB
of the coil and has magnetic flux density 0.060 T. The current in the coil is
0.030 A.
i Use Fleming’s left-hand rule to determine the direction of the force on
section AB of the coil.

(1 mark)

ii The current-carrying coil will rotate because it experiences a torque.

With the coil in the position shown in Figure 4, calculate:
the force experienced by the length AB

(1 mark)

the torque experienced by the coil.

(2 marks)

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OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

c Figure 5 shows the path of a positive ion of oxygen-16 inside a mass

spectrometer.

Figure 5
The shaded area in Figure 5 represents a region of uniform magnetic field of
flux density 0.14 T. The direction of the magnetic field is out of the plane of
the paper.
The ion has a speed of 4.5 × 106 m s1 and it enters the region at right angles
to the magnetic field. Whilst the ion is in the magnetic field, it describes a
circular arc of radius, r. The force experienced by the ion in the magnetic field
is 2.0 × 1013 N.
i Calculate the charge, Q, of the ion.

(2 marks)

ii The mass of the ion is 2.7 × 1026 kg. Calculate the radius, r, of the
circular path.

(3 marks)

iii In Figure 5, the oxygen-16 ion is replaced by an oxygen-18 ion.

The oxygen-18 ion has the same speed and charge.
Explain why this ion describes an arc of greater radius.

(2 marks)

OCR Physics A, January 2012

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OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

4 Figure 7 shows the circular track of an electron moving in a uniform magnetic

field.

Figure 7
The magnetic field is perpendicular to the plane of Figure 7. The speed of the
electron is 6.0 × 107 m s1 and the radius of the track is 24 cm.
Mass of electron  9.1 × 1031 kg
Charge of electron 1.6 × 1019 C
a i On Figure 7, draw an arrow to show the direction of the force acting on
the electron when it is at point A.
Label this arrow F.

(1 mark)

ii Explain why this force does not change the speed of the electron.

(1 mark)

b Calculate the magnitude of the force, F, due to the magnetic field acting on
the electron when it is at A.

(2 marks)

c Calculate the magnetic flux density of the magnetic field.

(2 marks)

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OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

d A positron now enters the magnetic field at the same point as the electron.
The positron is also travelling at a speed of 6.0 × 107 m s1.
Charge on positron 1.6 × 1019 C
Mass of positron  9.11 × 1031 kg
The positron also follows a circular track as it passes through the magnetic
field.
State and explain:
i one similarity between the two tracks

(2 marks)

ii one difference between the two tracks.

(2 marks)

OCR Physics A, June 2012

5 a Figure 8 shows two long, straight parallel copper wires X and Y, clamped
vertically. The wires pass through two holes in a horizontal sheet of card.

Figure 8
i A current flows in wire X in the direction shown in Figure 8.
Sketch on Figure 8 a minimum of three field lines on the card to
represent the magnetic field surrounding the wire X.
(3 marks)

ii A constant current is now passed through wire Y in the same direction as

that in X.
The current in wire Y is larger than the current in wire X.
On Figure 8, sketch an arrow to show the direction of the force acting on
wire Y due to the magnetic field produced by the current in X.
(1 mark)

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OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

iii Wire X also experiences a force. State and explain which wire, if any, will
experience the larger force.

(2 marks)

b Figure 9 shows one arrangement for investigating electromagnetic induction.

Both coils are drawn as if they are viewed from position P.

Figure 9
When the switch is closed there is a current in the coil C. The current flows in
a clockwise direction in C as viewed from position P.
Explain how Lenz’s law predicts the direction of the induced current:
i when the switch is opened

(2 marks)

ii when it is closed again.

(2 marks)

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OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

c Figure 10 shows a coil consisting of 500 turns of copper wire. The mean
diameter of the turns is 35 cm.
The coil is mounted vertically in the Earth’s magnetic field. When the coil is
rotated about its axis the horizontal component of Earth’s magnetic field
induces an e.m.f. in the coil.

Figure 10

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 23 Magnetic fields
OCR Physics A Exam-style questions

Figure 11 shows how the induced e.m.f. varies with time, t, when the coil is
rotated at 1.5 revolutions per second.

Figure 11
Use data from Figure 11 to determine the horizontal component of the flux
density, B, of the Earth’s magnetic field.

(3 marks)

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