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Table of Contents
ToggleMagnetism: Field Theory, Electromagnetic Forces, and Modern Applications
Fundamentals of Magnetism
Magnetism arises from moving electric charges and the intrinsic magnetic moments of elementary particles, creating dipole fields measured in teslas (T).
Key Equations
Lorentz Force Law
Where:
: Force vector (N)
: Charge (C)
: Velocity vector (m/s)
: Magnetic field (T)
Magnetic Force on Current
Special Case (θ=90°):
Advanced Concepts
Biot-Savart Law
Where:
Tm/A
: Current element
Ampere’s Law
Modern Applications
Electromechanical Systems
- Electric motors: 85-95% efficiency in modern designs
- Maglev trains: Field strengths up to 5T for levitation
Information Technology
- Hard disk drives: ~1T magnetic fields for data writing
- MRAM: Non-volatile memory using magnetic storage
Medical Technology
- MRI scanners: 1.5-7T superconducting magnets
- TMS: 1-2T pulsed fields for brain stimulation
Worked Example
Current-carrying wire:
T
A
m
- θ = 90°
Common Errors
- Misapplying right-hand rule for force direction
- Confusing magnetic field units (1T = 10⁴ Gauss)
- Neglecting relativistic effects in high-velocity cases
Practice Problems
- A proton (
C) moves at
m/s perpendicular to a 0.5T field:
- Calculate the magnetic force
- Determine the radius of its circular path
- Derive the relationship
for solenoid fields
- Compare permanent magnets vs electromagnets for MRI applications
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