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PHYS 2202 LAB: Physics II

Week 10

Magnetic-Field

by

Naeamah Rabeea

Due Date: 14/04/2021

Submission’s Date: 14/04/2021

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Objective

The main objective of this lab is to determine the magnetic field B by plotting the magnetic
force vs current and magnetic force vs wire length.

Equipment Used

D.C. Power Supply (10 amp), D.C. Ammeter (0,1,5, 25 amp), Leads, Ring stand, Singles pan
quadruple beam balance, Green Magnetic field plotting stand with wire White paper, Carbon
paper, Tape

Theory

In the neighborhood of a permanent magnet or a current-carrying wire there exists a field,

called the magnetic field B. It has no effect on a point charge at rest; however, a moving
charge is acted upon by a force.

⃗ B ; |⃗
F =q ⃗v × ⃗ F|=qv sin θ … ..(1)

where 𝑞 is the charge and ⃗v is its velocity. From eq (1), the force is proportional to the vector
product of the velocity v and the magnetic field and is always perpendicular to both the
velocity and the magnetic field. we also see that the force will reverse its direction if the
velocity of the charge reverses its direction. In particular, there is no force on a charge at rest
in a magnetic field. The force is also proportional to the charge itself; reversing the sign of
the charge reverses the direction of the force. For qualitative tests of the magnetic field
direction, we can also use a compass needle; it will point in the direction of the magnetic field
as shown in Figure 1 below.
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Figure 1: Pattern of the magnetic field around a current carrying wire

From Figure 1 above, there is a magnetic field around a thin straight wire carrying a current I.
A compass needle shows that the magnetic field points along a circle around the wire.
Reversing the current tends to reverse the direction of the magnetic field H. At any point it
has the magnitude,

μo I N N
|⃗B|= Tesla or Weber.m-2 or … ..(2)
2 πr coulomb . m/sec Ampere .m

where r is the distance from the point to the wire and μo is an arbitrarily defined constant.

−7 V . sec N Weber
μo =4 π ×10 or 2 or or Tesla.m. Amp-1
A .m A A.m

The direction of the magnetic field is such that if the thumb of the right-hand points in the
direction of the current in the wire, then the other fingers encircle the wire in the same
direction as the magnetic field does as shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Right hand rule -Relation between magnetic field direction and current direction

When a current carrying conductor lies in a magnetic field (produced by a permanent magnet
or another current carrying wire) magnetic forces are exerted on the moving electrons within
the conductor. These forces are transmitted to the material of the conductor and thus the
conductor as a whole experience a force. This magnetic force can be described
mathematically by the vector cross product:

⃗
F =I ⃗
L ×⃗
B
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⃗
F =ILB sin θ … ..(3)

Procedure

We will use the experimental setup in the lab to perform this lab. In part 1 of the experiment,
we will place the magnetic assembly on the single pan balance with the red side facing
towards you. Then, we will place the ring stand with the main unit in the back of the pan with
the main unit extending through the pan support that its chromed arms are just above the
magnet. Lower the chromed arms of the main unit so that the foil loop extends down. Then,
we will position the ring stand so that the horizontal portion of the conductive foil of the
current loop passes through the pole region of the magnet assembly. Then, we will mount the
SF 38 current loop in the 0 main unit. We will wire up the apparatus and use the 5-amp
terminal on the ammeter. Then, we will measure the mass of the magnet assembly with no
current flowing and record the value as m o under mass with no current flowing in the data
table. Then, we will turn on the current and adjust it to 0.5 amp to measure the mass of the
magnet assembly with the current flowing and will record this value as m 1. Increase the
current by 0.5 amp to 1.0 amp. Then, we will determine the new mass of the magnet
assembly and record this value under mass with current flowing in the data table. Then, we
will subtract the mass value with current flowing from the value with no current flowing and
record this value as grams force in the table. Then, we will increase the current in 0.5 amp in
increments to a maximum of 5.0 amp each time and will repeat the above steps. Finally, we
will repeat the above steps for current loops of SF 40, SF 39, SF 38, SF 41 and SF 42 and
record the results in the table.

Data Analysis

Trial Current Length (L) Mass with Mass with Grams Force in
No. (Amps) of Cond. no current current Force Newtons
(m) flowing flowing
(grams) (grams)
1 0 0.042 162.75 162.75 0 0.000
2 0.5 0.042 162.75 162.97 0.22 0.002
3 1 0.042 162.75 163.08 0.33 0.003
4 1.5 0.042 162.75 163.21 0.46 0.005
5 2 0.042 162.75 163.36 0.61 0.006
6 2.5 0.042 162.75 163.54 0.79 0.008
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7 3 0.042 162.75 163.7 0.95 0.009

8 3.5 0.042 162.75 163.86 1.11 0.011
9 4 0.042 162.75 163.98 1.23 0.012
10 4.5 0.042 162.75 164.15 1.4 0.014
11 5 0.042 162.75 164.3 1.55 0.015
Table 1: Part I

Figure 1: Force (N) vs Current (Amps) Graph

Length: 0.042m

Slope from the graph: 0.003

Magnetic Field Strength B = 0.003/0.042 = 0.071 Tesla

Trial Current Length (L) Mass with Mass with Grams Force in
No. (Amps) of Cond. no current current Force Newtons
(m) flowing flowing
(grams) (grams)
1 3 0.012 162.76 163.02 0.26 0.003
2 3 0.022 162.76 163.25 0.49 0.005
3 3 0.032 162.76 163.5 0.74 0.007
4 3 0.042 162.76 163.71 0.95 0.009
5 3 0.064 162.76 164.09 1.33 0.013
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6 3 0.084 162.76 164.52 1.76 0.017

Table 2: Part II

Figure 2: Force (N) vs Wire Length (m) Graph

Questions

1. There is a linear relationship between the force and the current. As the current
increases, the force also increases. So, an increase in the current will increase the
force acting on a wire inside a magnetic field and vice versa.
2. There is a linear relationship between the force and the length of the wire. As the
length of the wire increases, the force also increases. So, an increase in the wire length
will increase the force acting on a wire inside a magnetic field and vice versa.
3. The measured Magnetic Field Strength B is 0.071 Tesla. The given value of the
theoretical Magnetic Field Strength B was 0.01. So, the percentage difference

between the two values will be |0.01−0.071

0.01 |∗100=6.1 %.
Conclusion

We performed this lab to study the forces on a current carrying wire in a magnetic field and
to plot the magnetic field surrounding a long current carrying wire. The formulas used in the
Slope
lab were gF=mwith−current −mno−current, F ( N ) =gF∗0.0098 and B= . All the
Length of wire
theoretical and experimental results and obtained graphs are listed in the tabular form in the
data analysis section of the report. The necessary graphs are also included in the report. It was
observed that there is a linear relationship between the force and the current and the force and
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the length of the wire. The percentage difference between the experimental and theoretical
magnetic field strength B was 6.1 %.