Question concerning magnetic fields

AI Thread Summary
Magnetic fields do not possess a charge; they are simply fields that exert forces on charged particles, such as protons and electrons. The direction of the force on these particles can be determined using the right-hand rule, which applies to the equation F = qv x B, where F is the force, q is the charge, v is the velocity, and B is the magnetic field. The confusion often arises from mixing up the properties of fields with their sources, which can have charge or mass. Understanding this distinction is crucial for grasping the behavior of magnetic fields in relation to charged particles. Clarifying these concepts can enhance comprehension of magnetic interactions in physics.
jlo4
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
So I am somewhat confused on magnetic fields. Do they have a charge? Because I have come across many problems that involve either protons or electrons and whether or not they are deflected by the field. My question is if the fields do have a positive or negative charge, how are you suppossed to know what the charge is? Do you use the right hand rule for this or what? Any help to clear my understanding would be greatly appreciated!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The magnetic field is just a field. It has no charge. It causes a force on a positive or negatively charged particle given by the right-hand rule.

F = qB \times v

where x is the cross product.
 
It's F = qv x B. but maybe, jlo4, you meant to ask if what produces a magnetic field has some sort of charge?
 
jlo4 said:
So I am somewhat confused on magnetic fields. Do they have a charge? Because I have come across many problems that involve either protons or electrons and whether or not they are deflected by the field. My question is if the fields do have a positive or negative charge, how are you suppossed to know what the charge is? Do you use the right hand rule for this or what? Any help to clear my understanding would be greatly appreciated!

Why pick on just magnetic fields? Do "electric fields" have a charge? Do gravitational fields have a mass?

One should not confuse fields with sources, and one should not confuse the origin of these sources and sources.

Zz.
 
Thread 'Motional EMF in Faraday disc, co-rotating magnet axial mean flux'
So here is the motional EMF formula. Now I understand the standard Faraday paradox that an axis symmetric field source (like a speaker motor ring magnet) has a magnetic field that is frame invariant under rotation around axis of symmetry. The field is static whether you rotate the magnet or not. So far so good. What puzzles me is this , there is a term average magnetic flux or "azimuthal mean" , this term describes the average magnetic field through the area swept by the rotating Faraday...
It may be shown from the equations of electromagnetism, by James Clerk Maxwell in the 1860’s, that the speed of light in the vacuum of free space is related to electric permittivity (ϵ) and magnetic permeability (μ) by the equation: c=1/√( μ ϵ ) . This value is a constant for the vacuum of free space and is independent of the motion of the observer. It was this fact, in part, that led Albert Einstein to Special Relativity.
Back
Top