Magnetic fields &

electromagnetic induction
Learning outcomes
 describe magnetic fields in terms of magnetic flux & flux density
 use Fleming’s left and right hand rules to describe interactions between
magnetic field & current
 quantitatively describe B fields around a straight current-carrying wire
and a solenoid
 quantitatively describe the force on a charged particle moving at right
angles to a uniform B field
 explain electromagnetic induction using Faraday’s & Lenz’s law
 use the concept of flux linkage to explain how transformers work
 describe how B fields are used in circular particle accelerators
 recall the postulates and key consequences of special relativity
 solve related quantitative problems
Teaching challenges
• fields are abstract

• involves 3-D thinking but generally illustrated in 2-D

• involves rates of change

• different concepts have similar names

• some physical quantities have a variety of equivalent units

• students may need simple trigonometry to find the magnetic

flux, or magnetic force, correctly identifying angle .

Permanent magnets
Magnetic field lines start and finish at poles. Physicists picture this
as a ‘flow’ in magnetic circuit.

• magnetic flux (phi), unit Weber

• magnetic flux density B, unit Weber m-2 or Tesla

  B A  BAcos


Carl Gauss & Wilhelm Weber investigated geomagnetism in 1830s,

made accurate measurements of magnetic declination and

inclination, built the first electromagnetic telegraph.

Defining magnetic flux density
Fleming’s left-hand rule:
Force on the wire is perpendicular to both l and B.

Typical magnetic field strengths:

Earth’s field bar magnet MRI magnet

B ~50 mT 0.1 T 0.2 – 3.0 T

Electromagnetism
Electric currents have loops of B flux around them.

Current-turns produce flux.

Magnetic fields near currents
I
• long straight wire B  0

2r
• long solenoid, N turns and length l
N
B I
l
0

  4  10 NA is the permeability of free space

7 -2
Forces on parallel currents

parallel - attract anti-parallel - repel

Forces on parallel currents
At the top wire in the diagram,
I
B 0 2

2r
F II
 BI  0 1 2

l 2r
1

Defining the ampere (straight wires of infinite length)

If the current in each wire is exactly 1 A,
and the distance between the wires is 1 m,
then the force on each metre length of the wires will be 2 x 10-7 N.

Practice questions: TAP Forces on currents

Force on a moving charge
q
F  IlB  lB  qvB
t
  

F  qvB sin 
Demonstration: fine beam tube
• uniform B-field at right angles to an electron beam with v
• F is perpendicular to v, so the beam travels in a circular path.

mv 2

qvB 
r
Fluxes and forces
Michael Faraday (experimenting in 1830s at the
Royal Institution) pictured magnetic field lines as

flexible and elastic

• magnetic attraction: field lines try to get shorter & straighter

• magnetic repulsion: field lines cannot cross

Faraday’s law of induction
Induced emf is proportional to rate of ‘cutting’ field lines.

N is number of turns on the secondary coil. N is its flux linkage.

Induced emf is proportional to rate of change in coil’s flux linkage.

NOTE: Eddy currents are induced in iron core linking primary and
secondary coils. These can be reduced by laminations in core.
 can be:

1 the flux cut by a moving wire

2 the change in flux due to a magnet moving
3 the change in flux due to a stationary electromagnet which is
changing in strength
No relative motion means no induced emf.

Under what conditions is there an induced current?

Experiments
• Force on a current-carrying wire

• Current balance

• Investigating fields near currents (using a Hall probe)

• Investigating electromagnetic induction

• Faraday’s law

• Jumping ring
Practice questions
• (Adv Physics) Changes in flux linkage
• (Adv Physics) Flux or flux linkage?
• TAP Rates of change
• (Adv Physics) Graphs of changing flux and emf
Endpoints
• rotating coil (AC) generator: emf   BANcost
• motors produce a ‘back emf’