Q11 of 26 Page 1

Deduce the expression for the torque acting on a planar loop of area and carrying current I placed in a uniform magnetic field . If the loop is free to rotate, what would be its orientation in stable equilibrium?

Let there be a rectangular coil PQRS, placed in a magnetic field such that its area vector is perpendicular to direction of magnetic field . Let θ be the angle between and .


Length of side PQ = b and QR = a


The side PQ experiences a normal inward force equal to Ib while the side RS experiences an equal normal outward force. These two forces form a couple which exerts a torque given by
= Force × perpendicular distance
=(Ib
)×


= I)


|τ| = IBAsinθ


The direction of the torque τ is such that it rotates the loop clockwise about the axis of suspension and will be given by Fleming’s left hand rule.


In stable equilibrium, torque will vanish. θ = 0. That is, the angle between the area vector and the magnetic field will be zero. Therefore, the loop will be perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field.


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