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Q.Establish the expression for work done in rotating a magnetic dipole placed in a uniform magnetic field.

Chhattisgarh CgbseCGBSE Intermediate Board 2019Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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The torque on a magnetic dipole is τ=pBsin⁡θ\tau = pB\sin\theta; integrating this torque over the angle of rotation gives the work done, W=pB(cos⁡θ1−cos⁡θ2)W = pB(\cos\theta_1-\cos\theta_2).

Consider a magnetic dipole of moment p⃗\vec p placed in a uniform magnetic field B⃗\vec B, making angle θ\theta with the field. The dipole experiences a restoring torque

τ=pBsin⁡θ\tau = pB\sin\theta

which tends to align it with the field. To rotate the dipole against this torque from an angle θ1\theta_1 to θ2\theta_2, an external agent must do work equal to

dW=τ dθ=pBsin⁡θ dθdW = \tau\, d\theta = pB\sin\theta \, d\theta

Integrating from θ1\theta_1 to θ2\theta_2:

W=∫θ1θ2pBsin⁡θ dθ=pB[−cos⁡θ]θ1θ2=pB(cos⁡θ1−cos⁡θ2)W = \int_{\theta_1}^{\theta_2} pB\sin\theta\, d\theta = pB\Big[-\cos\theta\Big]_{\theta_1}^{\theta_2} = pB(\cos\theta_1 - \cos\theta_2)

This work done is stored as potential energy of the dipole in the field:

U(θ)=−pBcos⁡θ=−p⃗⋅B⃗U(\theta) = -pB\cos\theta = -\vec p \cdot \vec B

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