AP Physics C Electricity & Magnetism

AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism delves into the principles of electricity and magnetism, exploring concepts such as electric fields, magnetic fields, and circuits.

Electric Charge and Coulomb’s LawElectric Fields and PotentialCircuits and Ohm’s Law
Gauss’s Law and Electric FluxMagnetic Fields and ForcesInduction and Faraday’s Law
Electricity in the HomeMedical Imaging and MRIWireless Power and Communication
Mastering Problem SolvingEffective Use of CalculusUnit Conversions and Dimensional Analysis
Electric Charge and ...Electric Fields and ...Circuits and Ohm’s L...Gauss’s Law and Elec...Magnetic Fields and ...Induction and Farada...Electricity in the H...Medical Imaging and ...Wireless Power and C...Mastering Problem So...Effective Use of Cal...Unit Conversions and...
Advanced Topics

Magnetic Fields and Forces

Magnetic Fields

Magnetic fields are created by moving charges (currents) and influence other moving charges. The strength of a magnetic field is measured in teslas (T).

The Lorentz Force

A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force given by: \[ \vec{F} = q\vec{v} \times \vec{B} \] where \( q \) is the charge, \( \vec{v} \) is its velocity, and \( \vec{B} \) is the magnetic field.

Key Features

  • Magnetic fields form closed loops.
  • The direction of the force is perpendicular to both the velocity and the field (right-hand rule).

Importance

Magnetic forces are crucial in electric motors, MRI machines, and maglev trains.

Examples

  • Charged particles spiral in Earth's magnetic field, forming auroras.

  • Electric motors spin because of forces on coils in magnetic fields.

In a Nutshell

Magnetic fields arise from moving charges and exert forces on other moving charges.

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Induction and Faraday’s Law