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Tony11235
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It is possible for the magnetic field to do work? I know it cannot do work on a moving charge, but what about...a current carrying wire? Is there any situation where work can be done by a magnetic field?
No, I think he was trying to argue that to explain what is actually doing the work in each counter-example is just mind-numbingly complex and would result only in frustration for the student asking the questions. Like the two wires example, there is an explanation showing that it isn't the magnetic field that is doing the work - it is the electric field.Tony11235 said:So the act of a paper clip being lifted and eventually attached to a magnet is considered work? Was Feynman trying to say the magnetic field can do work?
The magnetic field is an area around a magnet or current-carrying wire where magnetic forces are exerted on other magnets or moving charges. It is represented by magnetic field lines which indicate the direction and strength of the field.
The magnetic field is created by moving electric charges, such as electrons, in a current-carrying wire or by the alignment of magnetic domains in a magnet. This movement of charges generates a magnetic field that can be measured and observed.
The magnetic field can do work on a charged particle moving through it. This work is equal to the change in the particle's kinetic energy and is given by the equation W = qVB, where q is the charge of the particle, V is its velocity, and B is the strength of the magnetic field.
The strength of the magnetic field is measured in units of tesla or gauss. A tesla is equal to 10,000 gauss. The strength of the magnetic field can be measured using a magnetometer, which detects the force exerted on a test charge in the field.
The magnetic field has many practical applications, such as in generators and electric motors, which use the magnetic field to create electricity or to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. It is also used in MRI machines, particle accelerators, and compasses, among other devices.