ELECTROMAGNETISM

1) Calculate the force acting on a straight wire of length 3.4 cm and carrying a current of 8.4A
placed at 30 with a magnetic field of strength 23 mT. (3.36 mN)
2) A horizontal wire 6 cm long and mass 1.5 g is placed at right angles to a magnetic field of flux
density 0.5 T. Calculate the current that must be passed through the wire so that it is selfsupporting.
3) The horizontal component of the Earths magnetic flux density is 1.8 x 10-5 T. the current in a
horizontal cable is 150 A. Calculate for this cable (i) the max force per unit length
(ii) the min force per unit length. In each case state the angle between the cable and the magnetic
field. (Ans: (i) 2.7 x 10-3 N m-1, 90, (ii) 0, 0)
4) Calculate the force on a power cable of length 200 m carrying a current of 200 A in a direction
N 30 E at a place where the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field is 10-5 T.
(0.35 N)
5) A pivot arrangement using a wire of length 15 cm is placed in a magnetic field. When a
current of 4 A is passed through the wire it is found that a mass of 2.0 g must be hung from the
wire to return it to a horizontal position. Calculate the magnetic flux density of the magnet.
(ans: 0.0327 T)
6) Calculate the force on an alpha particle moving with a velocity of 2x106 ms-1 at 30o to a field
of flux density 3x10-3 T. (1.92x10-16 N)
7) An electron moves across a magnetic field of flux density 0.5 mT at a speed 9106 ms-1.
Calculate (i) the force on the electron, (ii) the radius of curvature of the electrons path while in
the field. (7.210-16N, 10.2 cm)
8) An electron moves along a circular path of radius 4.0 cm in a uniform magnetic field of flux
density 0.3 mT. Calculate (i) the speed of the electron, (ii) the period of the orbit of the electron.
(2.11 107 ms-1, 11.9 ns)
9) An electron moves along a circular path of radius 4.0 cm in a uniform magnetic field of flux
density 0.3 mT. Calculate (i) the speed of the electron, (ii) the period of the orbit of the electron.
(2.11 107 ms-1, 11.9 ns)
10) A straight wire of mass per unit length 45 g m-1 is laid on a horizontal ground. The horizontal
component of the Earths magnetic field is 18T in a direction south to north. A current is passed
through the wire to try to make it lift off the ground. State the direction in which the wire should
be laid on the ground and calculate the minimum current required.

11) A horseshoe magnet is placed on a top-pan balance with a straight wire clamped between its
poles. When a current of 3.0 A passes through the wire, the reading on the balance changes by
2.4 g. Calculate the magnetic flux density between the poles of the magnet. State any
assumptions you made.
12) The magnetic flux density B at a distance r (in m) from a long straight wire carrying a current
I
B=2.0 107
I (in A) is given by
r . Calculate (i) the magnetic flux density at a point 2.0
cm from a wire carrying a current of 15 A, (ii) the force per unit length on a second wire, also
carrying a current of 15 A, which is parallel to, and 2.0 cm from the first wire.
ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION
1) An aircraft has a wingspan of 17 m and is flying horizontally in a northerly direction at a
speed of 100 ms-1. The vertical component of the Earths magnetic field is 40 T in a downward
direction. Calculate (i) the area swept out per second by the wings, (ii) the magnetic flux cut per
second by the wings, (iii) the e.m.f induced between the wingtips. State which wing-tip will be at
the higher potential?
2) An aircraft of wingspan 30 m flies horizontally at a speed of 200 ms-1 in an area where the
Earths magnetic field is 1.710-4 T at 70 to the horizontal. Calculate the e.m.f induced between
the tips of the wing. (ans: 0.958V)
3) A large electromagnet consists of 600 turns wrapped around an iron core of cross-sectional
area 2.5 10-3 m2. A current of 10 A produces a B-field in the iron of 15 T. The current is
suddenly switched off and drops to zero in 50 ms. Calculate the average induced voltage across
the coil terminals and state any assumptions you made. (ans: 4500V)
4) The uniform flux between the poles of a large horseshoe magnet is 0.6 T. A small coil of area
of cross-section 1.5 10-4 m2 and 2500 turns is placed with its plane normal to the magnetic
field. The coil is withdrawn from the field in a time of 0.30 s.
(a) Calculate the average e.m.f induced in the coil whilst it is being withdrawn,
(b) The coil is rotated about the axis through its centre so that it makes an angle of 60 with the
B-field in 0.2 s. Calculate the average induced emf in the coil. (ans: 0.75V, 0.15 V)
5) Calculate the maximum value of the e.m.f generated in a coil with 200 turns and of area 10
cm2 rotating at 60 rads-1 in a field of flux density 0.1 T. (ans:1.2 V)
6) The magnetic flux linkage through a coil varies with time as shown below. Sketch a graph
to show how the induced e.m.f in the coil varies with time.

t1

t2

t3 t4

t1

t2

6) A power station generates a power of 200 MW at a potential difference of 400 kV. This input
power is transmitted to a distant town through a pair of overhead lines whose total resistance is
5.0 . Calculate (i) the current in the wires (ii) the voltage between the terminals at the far end of
the lines. (ans: 500 A, 397.5 kV)