Motion of a wire in a magnetic field

[eoghan]

Hi there!
If a wire is surrounded by a uniform magnetic field B, then there is a force F=I(lxB). By this force, what is the motion of the wire? Is it a circular motion or a straight motion?

 

[Bob S]

The force, from Lorentz law, as you have written, is always perpendicular to both the magnetic field and to the current in the wire. Without costraints, the motion is also perpindicular to the wire, so it is straight motion.