Q.Obtain an expression for the torque acting on a rectangular current loop, when placed inclined at an angle with the direction of a magnetic field. OR Using Ampere's circuital law, find an expression for the magnetic field at a point well inside a straight solenoid carrying current.
You're viewing a preview — the full solution, concept, methods & PYQ mapping are locked.
Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Computing the forces on the two current-carrying sides of a rectangular loop and taking their moment as a couple gives ; for the alternative, applying Ampere's law along a rectangular Amperian loop gives inside a solenoid.
Setup
Consider a rectangular loop of length and breadth (area ), carrying current , placed in a uniform magnetic field . Let the normal to the plane of the loop, , make angle with .
Forces on the loop
The two sides of length (say and ) each carry current perpendicular to 's component along the plane, and each experiences a force of magnitude
These two forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction (current flows in opposite senses around the loop), and together they form a couple.
The other two sides, of length , experience forces that act along the axis of rotation and produce no turning moment about that axis.
Torque as a couple
The two forces act along parallel lines separated by a perpendicular distance (this separation shrinks to zero when the loop's normal is aligned with , i.e. , and is maximum, , when the loop's plane contains , i.e. ).
The torque of this couple is
For a coil of turns, this becomes . In vector form, , where is the magnetic moment of the loop.
…
Unlock everything free for 14 days
- Full step-by-step solutions
- Concept-first explanations
- Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
- PYQ mapping + timed mock tests
Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.