To calculate the force on a wire carrying a current at right angles to a magnetic field, use the equation:
force on a conductor carrying a current = magnetic field strength × current × length
\(F = B ~ I ~ l\)
This is when:
A 50 cm wire carries a current of 2 A. 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:
\(50~cm = \frac{50}{100} = 0.5~m\)
Then substitute the values into the equation:
force = 0.4 × 2 × 0.5
force = 0.4 N
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.
5.0 cm = 5 ÷ 100 = 0.050 m
force = 0.60 × 0.75 × 0.050
force = 0.0225 N