Is the Lorentz magnetic force verified?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the verification of the Lorentz magnetic force law, expressed as F = q(v X B). Participants explore historical experiments, contemporary educational practices, and various interpretations of what constitutes verification of this law, including both theoretical and practical perspectives.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference J.J. Thomson's experiments from 1897 as foundational work related to the Lorentz force, particularly in determining the charge-to-mass ratio of electrons.
  • Others argue that textbooks do not provide original quantitative experimental verifications of the magnetic force, suggesting a gap in educational resources.
  • A participant mentions that introductory physics students commonly perform experiments verifying the Lorentz force, asserting that these experiments are widely accepted in educational settings.
  • There is a suggestion that the Northern Lights serve as a natural experiment demonstrating the Lorentz force.
  • Some participants question the relevance of certain experiments, arguing that they do not directly verify the magnetic force law.
  • One participant asserts that verifying the electric part of the Lorentz force law in different frames also serves as a verification of the magnetic part.
  • Another participant claims to have personally verified the Lorentz magnetic force in a college lab setting, emphasizing the widespread experience of students over generations.
  • There are challenges to the understanding of basic concepts related to the Lorentz force, with some participants suggesting that a foundational grasp is necessary before tackling more complex ideas.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion reveals multiple competing views regarding the verification of the Lorentz magnetic force law. While some participants assert that numerous experiments confirm the law, others express skepticism about the adequacy of existing evidence and the clarity of educational materials.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the specific criteria for what constitutes verification of the Lorentz force law, leading to varied interpretations of historical and contemporary experiments. There are also references to the need for clearer definitions and understandings of related concepts.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to students and educators in physics, researchers exploring historical experiments in electromagnetism, and individuals interested in the practical applications of the Lorentz force in modern technology.

avicenna
Messages
96
Reaction score
8
Can someone provide me with some original experiments conducted which verified the Lorentz magnetic force : F = q(v X B).

Google does not give me any links except to explanations of the Lorentz force law.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Check out J.J. Thomson's experiments on electrons (in 1897).
 
Doc Al said:
Check out J.J. Thomson's experiments on electrons (in 1897).
Thomson's well known work is in charge/mass ratio of of the electrons. Textbooks on the magnetic field don't give any hit on any original quantiative experimental verification of the magnetic force.
 
avicenna said:
Thomson's well known work is in charge/mass ratio of of the electrons.
Which makes use of and confirms the Lorentz force law.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Dale
avicenna said:
Thomson's well known work is in charge/mass ratio of of the electrons. Textbooks on the magnetic field don't give any hit on any original quantiative experimental verification of the magnetic force.

I don't understand this. My students in intro physics class do this experiment as part of the course. In fact, this is a rather common undergraduate experiment in general physics courses.

Here's a demo:



.. and here's an example of the lab instruction that students do to perform this experiment:

https://ixnovi.people.wm.edu/phys251/web_manuals/emratio.pdf
http://www1.phys.vt.edu/~labs/phys3324/spring11/ph3324_lab1.pdf

So to answer the question in the title: Heck, yeah!

Zz.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: OmCheeto and Doc Al
Well, I guess the OP wanted something about the history, and I must say, I cannot point to a specific detailed source. Of course, the classical experiments are Thomson, Kaufmann, etc. Concerning the discovery of the electron, see

https://philpapers.org/rec/FALCEA-2
 
ZapperZ said:
I don't understand this. My students in intro physics class do this experiment as part of the course. In fact, this is a rather common undergraduate experiment in general physics courses.

Here's a demo:



.. and here's an example of the lab instruction that students do to perform this experiment:

https://ixnovi.people.wm.edu/phys251/web_manuals/emratio.pdf
http://www1.phys.vt.edu/~labs/phys3324/spring11/ph3324_lab1.pdf

So to answer the question in the title: Heck, yeah!

Zz.

The video experiment has nothing to do with verification of the magnetic force.
 
What exactly are you looking for?
Is it verification of the electric force?
Is it verification of the magnetic force?
Is it verification that you can vectorially add the forces?
Is it that the coefficient on the magnetic part is 1?
 
  • #10
Vanadium 50 said:
What exactly are you looking for?
Is it verification of the electric force?
Is it verification of the magnetic force?
Is it verification that you can vectorially add the forces?
Is it that the coefficient on the magnetic part is 1?
The magnetic force law is : F = q(v X B). Is it verified?
 
  • #11
avicenna said:
The video experiment has nothing to do with verification of the magnetic force.

I had a feeling you were going to say that!
 
  • #12
avicenna said:
The magnetic force law is : F = q(v X B). Is it verified?

Why do you ask?
 
  • #13
PeroK said:
Why do you ask?
I ask because I want to know the answer.
 
  • #14
avicenna said:
I ask because I want to know the answer.

The Northern Lights are an excellent natural experiment in the Lorentz force:

 
  • #15
avicenna said:
I ask because I want to know the answer.
Did you read through the Wikipedia link that I posted earlier?
 
  • #16
avicenna said:
The magnetic force law is : F = q(v X B). Is it verified?
https://5.imimg.com/data5/PN/XP/MY-28515491/crt-tv-250x250.jpg

crt-tv-250x250.jpg
 

Attachments

  • crt-tv-250x250.jpg
    crt-tv-250x250.jpg
    9.9 KB · Views: 499
  • #17
avicenna said:
The video experiment has nothing to do with verification of the magnetic force.

Why not? The fact that the electron beam path curved in exactly the same way that the Lorentz for predicted is a verification. Or are you completely blind of what it was demonstrating?

And what about all those undergraduate experiments that I pointed out to? Have you attempted any of them?

I don't think you even know what the magnetic Lorentz force is.

Zz.
 
  • #18
avicenna said:
I ask because I want to know the answer.

I don't think you'd recognize the answer even if it smacked you on the face.

Just so you know, particle accelerators all over the world make use of this force. And not only that, your old TV and CRT tubes (depending on how old you are) were clear demonstration of this force. But like I said. the evidence have all been staring at you in the face, but you just don't recognize it.

Zz.
 
  • #19
berkeman said:
Did you read through the Wikipedia link that I posted earlier?
I did read some of the physics involving mass spectrometry. I am not sure how it is a verification of the magnetic force law.
 
  • #20
avicenna said:
I did read some of the physics involving mass spectrometry. I am not sure how it is a verification of the magnetic force law.
Are you being obtuse on purpose? What is your end game here?
 
  • #21
You can show that Maxwell's equations are Lorentz covariant. You can show that a pure electric field viewed from a moving frame has a magnetic component. Therefore you can re-analyse any experiment that measures the electric part of the Lorentz force law in a different frame and show that the magnetic force component behaves as expected.

Thus a test of the electric part of the Lorentz force is also a test of the magnetic part.
 
  • #22
avicenna said:
I did read some of the physics involving mass spectrometry. I am not sure how it is a verification of the magnetic force law.

Like I said, the evidence is right in front of you, but you seem to not be able to comprehend it.

Zz.
 
  • #23
Ibix said:
You can show that Maxwell's equations are Lorentz covariant. You can show that a pure electric field viewed from a moving frame has a magnetic component. Therefore you can re-analyse any experiment that measures the electric part of the Lorentz force law in a different frame and show that the magnetic force component behaves as expected.

Thus a test of the electric part of the Lorentz force is also a test of the magnetic part.
Has anyone done any experiment to verify "the electric part of the Lorentz force law in a different frame" to be correct?
 
  • #24
avicenna said:
Has anyone done any experiment to verify "the electric part of the Lorentz force law in a different frame" to be correct?

Shouldn't you try and understand the simpler version first before trying to tackled ".. the electric part of Lorentz force law in a different frame.."? You appear to not understand either the concept of cross product or how it relates to the magnetic force on moving charge particles. How about understanding the basic concept that we cover in General Physics first?

You don't appear to be sincere about learning anything here.

Zz.
 
  • #25
avicenna said:
The magnetic force law is : F = q(v X B). Is it verified?
I have personally verified the Lorentz magnetic force (measuring the trajectory of electrons of known velocity moving through a homogeneous magnetic field) in my college physics lab, and I expect that many of the regular contributors here have similar experiences, as have generations of students before us for the past century and a half.
Thus the answer to this question (and the question in the thread title) is unambiguously "Yes".

There are also an enormous number of experiments (probably just about everything that involves using magnetic fields to manipulate the trajectories of charged particles) that would not work properly if the Lorentz force law were not valid. These are not indexed as "verifications of the Lorentz force law", but that's what they are.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: vanhees71
  • #26
This thread has reached the point of diminishing returns and is closed.
As with all thread closures, you may PM any mentor to ask that it be reopened if you believe that there is more to say.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: davenn and berkeman

Similar threads

  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 35 ·
2
Replies
35
Views
7K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
994
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K