ELECTRODYNAMICS

Electrodynamics: The Study of

Electromagnetic Interactions
Magnetism is caused by charge in motion.
Charges at rest have just an electric field
But, when they move, they generate both an
electric field and a magnetic field
Can look at individual charges or electric
current in a wire
Direction of current determines direction of
the magnetic field.
Use right hand rules for analysis.
The Current-Carrying Wire
Hans Oersted (1820): current-carrying wire
generates a magnetic field

Andre Ampere: magnetic force experienced
by a compass near the wire acted at right
angles to the current along a series of
concentric circles. (Right-Hand-Current Rule)

Jean Biot & Felix Savart: B-field near a long
straight wire is directly proportional to the
current and inversely proportional to the
distance from the wire
Slide 4
Fig 19.15b, p.678
First Right Hand Rule: thumb points in
direction of current, fingers curl in
direction of magnetic field- note compass
readings. Use for current-carrying wire.
Magnetic field of a long straight wire
B: magnetic field strength (teslas)
I: current (amperes)
r: radius from wire (meters)

o
: permeability constant in a vacuum

o
= 4 x 10
-7
Tm/A

What is the shape of this magnetic field?

r
I
B
o
t

2
=
Current Loops & Coils
Ampere: field inside loop is much stronger. RHR
provides direction of B. Looks like a dipole field. All
magnetism is caused by currents.

Biot & Savart: field at center of current loop is
directly proportional to the current and inversely
proportional to the radius of the loop. Stacking
several loops overlaps fields and increases field
strength. Diameter much greater than thickness.

Ampere (again): wound wire into long helix
(solenoid). With a current passing through
solenoid, it acted like a bar magnet. Turn density
has a large impact on B-field strength.
For loop or coil of wire, can
still use 1
st
RHR, but direction
of current constantly changes.
Easier to use 2
nd
Right Hand
Rule. Fingers curl in direction
of current, thumb points to
direction of magnetic field.
Magnetic field of a loop of wire
carrying current
R
I
B
o
2

=
Magnetic Field of Multiple Stacked
Loops of Current-Carrying Wire
The strength of the field is greater than in a single loop.

R
I N
B
o
2

=
N is the NUMBER of loops
Magnetic Field of a Solenoid
nI B
center solenoid 0 ,
=
A solenoid is a helix, so it behaves
differently than stacked loops. The major
factor for the magnetic field produced by
a solenoid is the turn spacing.
n is the turn density, the number of turns
per unit length (n = N/L)
At the ends of the solenoid, about half the
field leaks out.
nI B
ends solenoid 0
2
1
,
=
Magnetic Force
If current exert forces on magnets, then
magnets ought to exert forces on currents.
Ampere:
passed current through two parallel wires
one fixed wire and one suspended to swing
freely
free wire swung in response to B-field
produced by current passing through other
wire

Force on a Moving Charge
A charge q moving through a magnetic field (B) with
velocity v, experiences a force, F
M
, proportional to q, v,
and B.
Only relative motion is necessary. Charge can be at rest
and the magnetic field can be moving relative to the
charge.
Direction of the magnetic force is perpendicular to the
plane determined by the velocity and B-field vectors.
Magnitude of F
M
depends on angle u between v & B.
When particle moves parallel to the field, the force is zero.
When the particle moves perpendicular to the field, the
force is a maximum.
u sin qvB F
M
=
Force on a Moving Charge
3
rd
Right Hand Rule Version A
Gives direction of the magnetic force exerted on a conventional
current (or positive charge) by an external magnetic field
Point fingers of RH in direction of current (or motion of charge)
Curl fingers through smallest angle to direction of magnetic field
Thumb indicates direction of the force.
If charge or current is negative, direction of force is opposite
(or use left hand).
3
rd
Right Hand Rule Version B
Point thumb of RH
in direction of
current (or motion
of charge)
Straight fingers
point in direction of
magnetic field
Palm pushing
indicates direction
of magnetic force
Magnetic Deflecting Force on a
Charged Particle
Because F
M
is
perpendicular to v, it is a
deflecting force.
It changes the direction
of v, without changing
the magnitude.
No work is done on a
moving charge by a B-
field.
No change in the
particles energy will
occur in the process.
Magnetic Deflecting Force on a
Charged Particle
If the field is large enough, the direction of the force
on the particle will continuously change, but will
always be perpendicular to the charges velocity.
The particle will be forced to move in a circular arc
(or even a complete circle).
Particles in a Magnetic Field: What is
the direction of the particle velocity?
Trajectory of a Free Particle
The particle
experiences a
centripetal acceleration.
The magnetic deflecting
force is therefore a
centripetal force.
If v is perpendicular to
B, the radius of the
charged particles
trajectory can be easily
predicted.
qB
mv
R
R
mv
qvB
R
mv
F
cent
=
=
=
2
2
momentum
Particle Accelerators
In a particle accelerator, the goal is to obtain the largest possible
momentum, mv.

This is done by imparting energy to the particle, such as by applying
an external E-field. This will increase the momentum of the particle.
Simultaneously increasing
the B-field will keep the
radius constant.

In a particle accelerator, the
largest possible field and
radius are required for a
given charge.

At Fermilab and CERN, the
particle accelerators are 6.3
km and 27 km in
circumference, respectively.

Television Screens
Consists of cathode ray tube
(CRT) in which electric fields
form a beam of electrons.
Phosphor on the TV screen
glows when struck by beam.
Pair of coils on the tube neck
create a set of perpendicular
magnetic fields.
As the electron beam passes
through each set of coils, it is
deflected either horizontally or
vertically to different regions
of the screen.
The current through the coils
can be varied, thereby
varying the magnetic field and
the degree of deflection.
Click to
view animation.
Particles in Magnetic Fields
All freely accelerating charges radiate
electromagnetic energy (we will discuss this
in depth later in the year).
Therefore, a charged particle moving through
a magnetic field will lose energy as it
experiences a centripetal acceleration.
If it loses kinetic energy, the radius of its
trajectory will decrease and it will spiral
inward.
Click to
view animation.
Forces on Wires
Consider a quantity of
charge Aq passing
through a wire in a B-
field, such that in time
At, the charges travels a
length of wire l.

Direction of the force is
the same as the
direction of the force on
the individual positive
charge carriers. Use
RHR.
( )( )
u
u
u
u
sin
sin
sin
sin
IlB F
B t v t q F
t
t
qvB F
qvB F
t v l
t q I
M
M
M
M
=
A A A =
A
A
A =
A =
A =
A A =
Magnetic Force on Current-
Carrying Wire
Force on a Current Loop
Imagine a lightweight current-carrying rectangular coil
placed in uniform B-field.
Direction and magnitude of the force on each segment
of wire depends on the wires orientation in the B-field.
Forces may or may not cause the loop to rotate.
No rotation
when loop is
perpendicular
to B-field.
Torque on a Current Loop
Suspend the loop so it can rotate freely about a
vertical axis and place it in a uniform horizontal B-
field.
If the loop is not perpendicular to the field, the
forces on the vertical segments of wire produce a
torque that rotates the coil through the field.
The torque on the current loop is given by




where | is the angle between the magnetic dipole
moment and B.

| t sin NIAB =
The DC motor is simple, yet very important application.
Magnetic Dipole Moment
Tendency of a magnet to
align with external B-field.

For a planar loop, direction
is given by Right-Hand-
Current Rule (2
nd
RHR)

Magnitude is product of
current in the loop and area
of the loop.

Analyzing the torque on the
current loop, it is clear why
the magnetic moment tends
to align with the external B-
field.
IA
l
=
Two Parallel Wires
Two long parallel wires suspended next to each other
will either attract or repel depending on the direction of
the current in each wire.
B-field produced by
each wire interacts
with current in the
other wire
Produces magnetic
deflecting force on
other wire.
Wires exert equal
and opposite forces
on each other.

Two Parallel Wires
Currents in Same Direction
Wires Attract
Currents in Opposite Directions
Wires Repel
Two Parallel Wires
B-field produced by wire 2 at the position
of wire 1 is given by



where d is the distance between the wires.
d
I
B
t

2
2 0
2
=
Two Parallel Wires
Since the wires are
parallel, the force
exerted by wire 2 on
wire 1 is given by

However, it is often
more appropriate to
determine the force per
unit length on the wire.
d
I I
l F
d
I
l I F
lB I F
M
M
M
t

2
2
2 1 0
2 0
1
2 1
=
=
=
d
I I
B I
l
F
M
t

2
2 1 0
2 1
= =