Magnetic Fields: Force on Charges Moving Perpendicular

AI Thread Summary
Magnetic fields exert force on charges only when they move perpendicular to the field due to the nature of the Lorentz force, which depends on the angle between the velocity of the charge and the magnetic field. Charges moving parallel or anti-parallel to the field experience no force because the magnetic field does not interact with their motion in those orientations. The orientation of the field created by the moving charge also plays a role in this interaction. Understanding this relationship is complex and often does not yield straightforward answers. The discussion highlights the fundamental principles of electromagnetism governing the behavior of charged particles in magnetic fields.
lizdrotos
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Why do magnetic fields only apply force to charges/currents that are perpendicular to the field?

Does it have something to do with the orientation of the field created by the moving charge in relation to the field it is in?
 
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Hello lizdrotos. Welcome to PF !
lizdrotos said:
Why do magnetic fields only apply force to charges/currents that are perpendicular to the field?
Actually a magnetic does apply a force to any charge moving through it except for those moving exactly parallel, or anti-parallel to the field.
Does it have something to do with the orientation of the field created by the moving charge in relation to the field it is in?
Such a "why" question cannot usually be answered.
 

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