Why is electromagnetic force perpendicular to magnetic field?

AI Thread Summary
The electromagnetic force is perpendicular to the magnetic field due to the nature of the Lorentz force law, which states that the force experienced by a charged particle is a result of its velocity and the magnetic field direction. When the angle θ is 90 degrees, the force reaches its maximum magnitude, demonstrating the relationship between charge movement and magnetic fields. The right-hand rule helps visualize this interaction, indicating that if a positive charge moves towards the observer and the magnetic field is directed to the left, the resulting force acts downward. This concept reflects fundamental principles of electromagnetism, which can seem abstract and is often accepted as a natural law. Understanding these interactions is essential for grasping the broader concepts of physics.
dorian_gray
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
so, i was told FM= qV + B sin\theta, where \theta=90 in order to get the full magnitude of the force
but why is the electromagnetic force perpendicular to B?
also, looking upon the right hand rule, if the positive charge is heading towards you, and subsequently the magnetic field is then heading to left of you, the electromagnetic force then heads down; why is that?
perhaps this is a bit of a simplistic question for some, but I am very new to the field of physics and would very much like to understand the concept of electromagnetism
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I classify this question in the same category as the question "Why do masses attract and not repel?" THe answer to both is "Because that's how Nature works". In other words, it is equivalent to the question "Why does Nature work this way and not differently?"
 
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.

Similar threads

Back
Top