How to calculate the force

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 on a conductor carrying a current = magnetic field strength × current × length

force = 0.4 × 2 × 0.5

force = 0.4 N

Question

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.