Grade 12 Physics – Forces and Magnetic Fields

1. A magnetic field of 0.825 Tesla is pointing straight upwards. A wire of the length 1.75 m
lies in the horizontal plane and carries a current of 4.60 A towards the east. What is the
magnitude and direction of the magnetic force acting on this wire?

2. A magnetic field of 0.445 Tesla is pointing due East. A wire of length 2.00 m lies in the
horizontal plane and carries a current of 1.60 A towards 35.0° East of North. What is the
magnitude and direction of the magnetic force acting on the wire?

3. The nucleus of a hydrogen atom (a proton of charge +1 e) is travelling towards the west
through a magnetic field that points straight upwards. What is the direction of the
magnetic force that acts on the proton?

4. An electron is travelling towards the west through a magnetic field that point straight
upwards. What is the direction of the magnetic force that acts on the electron?

5. A 4.70 g bullet moves with a speed of 200.0 m/s [West], perpendicular to the earth’s
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magnetic field of 5.00 x 10 T [North]. If the bullet possesses a charge of 6.80 x 10 C,
what force acts on it?

6. What is the Magnitude and direction of a magnetic field if an electron moving through it
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at 2 x 10 m/s experiences a magnetic force of 5.1 x 10 N West when moving North?

7. A proton having a speed of 5 x 106 m/s in a magnetic field feels a force of

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8 x 10 N towards the West when it moves vertically upward. When moving horizontally
in a Northerly direction, it feels zero force. What is the magnitude and direction of the
magnetic field in this region?

8. A uniform magnetic field directed out of the page has a field strength of 0.3 T. An
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electron enters the magnetic field at 6 x 10 m/s, moving East. What is the magnitude and
direction of the magnetic force on the electron?

9. The conductor suspended by light flexible wires in the diagram below has a length of 20
cm and a mass of 0.008 kg. What current must exist
in the conductor if the tension in the supporting wires
is to be zero? Assume the strength of the magnetic x x x x x x x x
field is 0.8 T, and points into the page. In what B
direction must the current run? (The battery shown is x x x x x x x x
not necessarily connected properly, the positive side
of the battery is usually indicated by the longer side x x x x x x x x
of the parallel plates)
 Grade 12 Physics – Forces and Magnetic Fields
Answers

1. 6.64N [South]
2. 1.17N [down]
3. North
4. South
5. 6.8 x 10-11 N [down]
6. 0.16T [up]
7. 0.1 T [North]
8. 2.9 x 10-13 N [North]
9. 0.49A [counter-clockwise] – this means the battery is drawn correctly.
 Grade 12 Physics – Forces and Magnetic Fields
Solutions

1. You can view the situation from the top. The magnetic field will point towards you and can
be represented by dots.
Given:
v N
B = 0.825T
I = 4.60 A
W E

S
L = 1.75 m

angle between magnetic field and current

v θ= 0°
Unknown: magnetic force FB = ?
v v
Equation: FB = BIL sin q
Substitute
v and solve:
FB = (0.825T )(4.60 A)(1.75m) sin 0o =6.64 N
Using the right hand rule your fingertips will point into the page, your thumb will point
East, and your palm will point north.
The magnetic force acting on the wire is 6.64 N [North].

2. Since the magnetic field is in the horizontal plane and the current is in the horizontal
plane you should look at the situation from the top. The current is flowing towards 35.0°
east of North between the direction of the current and the direction of the magnetic field
55.0°.
Given: angle between current and magnetic field θ= 55.0°

v
B = 0.445T [ E ]
I = 1.60
L= A
2.00m
Θ=
55.0°

v
Unknown: magnetic force FB = ?
v v
Equation: FB = BIL sin q
Substitute
v and solve:
FB = (0.445T )(1.60 A)(2.00m) sin 55.0o = 1.17 N
Placing your thumb along the current with your fingertips pointing perpendicular to the current (more
or less in the southeast direction) your hand will lie flat on the page with the palm pointing into the
page or down since we are viewing this from the top.

The magnetic force acting on the wire is 1.17N [down].

3.
Since the proton is a positive charge you point your thumb in the direction of its motion
(West).
Your fingertips point straight upwards.
Your palm points North.

The magnetic force on the proton points North.

4. Since the electron is a negative charge, you must consider it as a positive charge moving
in the opposite direction. Therefore an electron moving to the west is like a positive charge
moving to the east.

Line up your thumb with the direction of motion of the positive charge (East).
Have your fingertips pointing in the direction of the magnetic field (upwards).
Your palm then faces the South.

The magnetic force on the electron points south.

This should make sense since an electron moving to the west is like a proton moving to the
east, the exact opposite of the situation in question three above. The force on the electron
moving to the west is opposite to the force on a proton moving to the west.

5. The magnetic force will serve to deflect the path of the bullet. Since the magnetic field
and the path of the bullet are at right angles to each other, the angle θ= 90°. The net force
acting on the bullet will be the magnetic force alone.
Given: Mass of the bullet m = 4.70 g = 0.00470 kg
horizontal speed of the bullet v = 200.0 m/s
magnetic field strength B = 5.00 x 10-5 T
charge on the bullet q = 6.80 x 10-9 C
horizontal distance bullet travels dX = 700.0 m

First find the magnetic force acting on the bullet.

Unknown: magnetic force FB = ?
Equation: F = qvB
Substitute and solve:
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F = (6.80 x 10 C)(200.0 m/s)(5.00 x 10 T) = 6.8 x 10 N.
The force acting on this charged bullet is 6.8 x 10-11 N.

6.

7.

8.

9. The magnetic force will be FB = I l B sinq. where q = 90°. This must balance the force of
gravity, namely Fg = m g. Therefore, the current will have to be
I = m g / l B = (0.008) (9.8) / (0.20) ( 0.8) = 0.49 A. This current must run from left to right
in the diagram, as the force must be upward. (Which means the battery is correctly connected).