Conceptual question about magnetic fields

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the interaction between a current-carrying wire and a uniform magnetic field, particularly regarding the forces involved when the wire is not fixed. It highlights that, according to Newton's third law, an object cannot exert a net force on itself, which means the wire's induced magnetic field does not need to be considered when calculating the force on it. The question arises about the effects of the wire's movement on the magnetic field, especially when it is perpendicular to the external field. It is suggested that changes in the magnetic field due to the wire's motion occur rapidly enough to be negligible for practical calculations. Overall, the key takeaway is that the induced magnetic field from the wire itself does not factor into the force calculation.
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I have a physics exam tomorrow and while recapping things for the exam, I was wondering one thing. The magnetic force exerted to a current carrying wire in a uniform magnetic field is \vec{F}=I \vec{l} \times \vec{B}. But a current carrying wire induces a magnetic field, so the magnetic field wouldn't be uniform anymore. So I guess the question I have is, if the wire isn't fixed would the force exerted be the same or do I some how have to add the effects of the outer magnetic field and the field induced by the wire.
 
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You don't need to include the field created by the wire itself. There are a couple of ways to look at this:

An object cannot exert a (net) force on itself, according to Newton's third law .

Also, this is akin to the force on a charge due to an electric field. One does not include the field of the charge itself to calculate the force.

Hope that helps!

EDIT:
... and good luck tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
Redbelly98 said:
You don't need to include the field created by the wire itself.

Thank you, Redbelly98. So this holds when the wire is moving?

I'd like to still know in detail why this is. Let's assume the wire is perpendicular to the outer field. So the magnetic field exerts a force on the wire, so the wire starts to move, if it's not fixed. And the wire would induce a magnetic field, which then increases or decreases the outer field. So when the wire moves dx meters the magnetic field isn't the same as where the wire started. I've been pondering this and all I've come up with is that the chances in the magnetic field are rapid enough so we can neglegt them.
 
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