Force on a current-

carrying conductor
Force acting on a current-carrying
conductor placed in a magnetic field

When a current-carrying conductor is placed in a magnetic field it may experience a

force. The magnetic field produced by the current flowing in the wire interacts with
the external magnetic field to produce a force.
Consider a current-carrying conductor placed at right angles to a magnetic field. The permanent
magnet produces a magnetic field as shown in diagram . These two fields interact to produce a
downward force F acting on the wire.
How to predict the direction of this force

The direction of this force can be predicted using Fleming’s left-hand rule. Fleming left hand rule
states that if we arrange our thumb, forefinger and middle finger of the left hand perpendicular to
each other, then the thumb points towards the direction of the force, the forefinger points towards the
direction of the magnetic field and the middle finger points towards the direction of the current.
Diagram showing how to perform Fleming
left hand rule
Force acting on a current-carrying
conductor
A magnetic field is represented by a vector quantity B. This is called the magnetic
flux density and its SI unit is the tesla. The magnitude of the force on a current-
carrying conductor when placed in a magnetic field depends on the following:
The magnitude of the current I flowing in the conductor.
The magnitude of the flux density B of the external magnetic field
The length of the conductor I inside the external magnetic field
The angle 0 made between the current I and the direction of the magnetic field.
Equation to find the force acting on the
conductor
 F=BILsinꝊ
 F-Force acting on conductor
 B-Magnetic flux density
 I-Current flowing in conduct
 L-Length of conductor in magnetic field
 Ꝋ-Angle made between the current and magnetic field
Diagrams that showcase how the magnitude of the force
acting on the conductor is affected by its orientation in the
magnetic field
Question

A conductor of length 1.5m, carrying a current of 8.0A, is placed in a magnetic field

of flux density 0.12T. Calculate the force acting on the wire when it is placed:
A)At right angles to the magnetic field.
B)Along the direction of the field.
C)At an angle of 30
A)F=BILsinꝊ=0.12*8.0*1.5sin90=1.44N
B)F=BILsinꝊ=0.12*8.0*1.5sin0=0N
C) F=BILsinꝊ=0.12*8.0*1.5sin30°=0.72N
Magnetic flux density
Magnetic flux density is numerically equal to the force per unit length on a straight
conductor carrying unit current normal to the field. 1 tesla is the magnetic flux
density of a field producing a force of 1N per metre on a wire carrying a current of
1A normal to the field.
Th magnetic flux density at a distance r from a
straight conductor carrying a current I is given by:

B=
Permeability of free space/-
Current/A-I
Perpendicular distance from conductor/m-r
The magnetic flux density at the center of a flat circular
coil of radius r, carrying a current I is given by:

B=
Permeability of free space/-
Current/A-I
Number of turns in the coil-N
Radius of coil/m-r
The magnetic flux density at the center of long solenoid
having n turns per unit length and carrying a current I is given
by:

B= nI

Permeability of free space/-

Number of turns per unit length/-n
Current/A-I