FredericBernard: Created page with "The '''Lorentz force''' is the force that acts on a charged particle due to its presence in electric and magnetic fields.[h..."

2018-09-21T16:37:53Z

Created page with "The '''Lorentz force''' is the force that acts on a charged particle due to its presence in electric and magnetic fields.<ref name=britannica>[h..."

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The '''Lorentz force''' is the [[force]] that acts on a [[charge]]d particle due to its presence in [[electric field|electric]] and [[magnetic field]]s.<ref name=britannica>[https://www.britannica.com/science/Lorentz-force Lorentz force] from britannica.com</ref> Named after the physicist [[Hendrik Lorentz]], the force '''F''' on a particle with charge ''q'' travelling with a [[velocity]] '''v''' is:<ref name=britannica/>

<math>
\vec{F} = q \left( \vec{E} + \vec{v} \times \vec{B} \right)
</math>

where ''E'' is the electric field and ''B'' is the magnetic field. The first term represents the force due to an electric field, the second due to a magnetic field. The × symbol represents the [[cross product]], which means that the force due to a magnetic field is [[perpendicular]] to both the [[velocity]] of the particle and the magnetic field. This has the important consequence that a magnetic force cannot do any [[work]] on a particle. The [[magnitude]] of the magnetic force is ''F<sub>M</sub>'' = ''Bv'' sin ''θ'' where θ is the angle between the magnetic field and velocity [[vector]]s.<ref name=hyperphysics>[http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/magnetic/magfor.html magnetic force] from hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu</ref> Its direction can be found using the [[right hand rule]]. If the velocity and magnetic field are [[parallel]], then there is no magnetic force produced. This is in contrast with [[electric field]]s where the force is always in the same direction of the field and is only zero if there is no electric field.

As a particle in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to its motion, it will undergo [[circular motion]]. In general, charged particles follow [[helix|helical]] paths around magnetic [[field lines]], with a radius of ''r'' = ''mv/qB'' for a particle with mass ''m''.<ref name=britannica/> This is used in [[particle accelerator]]s such as cyclotrons. A magnetic field is used to keep charged particles such as [[electron]]s or [[proton]]s following a circular path while an electric field is used to accelerate them at specific points as they go round.<ref name=britannica/>

==See also==
*[[Electric field]]
*[[Magnetic field]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Electromagnetism]]

Lorentz force - Revision history

FredericBernard: Created page with "The '''Lorentz force''' is the force that acts on a charged particle due to its presence in electric and magnetic fields.[h..."