A simplified model of a railgun is being designed. The railgun uses a strong magnetic field to accelerate a projectile between two parallel conducting rails. The projectile acts as a moving conductor, completing a circuit with a power source. In this design, the rails are 2.0 m long and separated by a distance of 5.0 cm. A constant current of 2.0 kA is passed through the projectile, and a uniform magnetic field of 5.0 T is applied perpendicular to the rails.
b. Describe the effect on the magnitude of the force if the magnetic field was applied at an angle of 30° to the plane of the rails, instead of being perpendicular. Explain your reasoning.
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Create Free Account Log inThis is a free VCE Units 3 & 4 Physics practice question worth 3 marks, testing your understanding of Force on conductor. It falls under How do things move without contact? in Unit 3: How do fields explain motion and electricity?. Submit your answer above to receive instant AI-powered marking and personalised feedback.
In this unit students use Newton’s laws to investigate motion in one and two dimensions. They explore the concept of the field as a model used by physicists to explain observations of motion of objects not in apparent contact. Students compare and contrast three fundamental fields – gravitational, magnetic and electric – and how they relate to one another. They consider the importance of the field to the motion of particles within the field. Students examine the production of electricity and its delivery to homes. They explore fields in relation to the transmission of electricity over large distances and in the design and operation of particle accelerators. A student-designed practical investigation involving the generation of primary data and including one continuous, independent variable related to fields, motion or light is undertaken either in Unit 3 or Unit 4, or across both Units 3 and 4, and is assessed in Unit 4, Outcome 2. The design, analysis and findings of the investigation are presented in a scientific poster format.
In this area of study, students examine the similarities and differences between three fields: gravitational, electric and magnetic. Students explore how positions in fields determine the potential energy of, and the force on, an object. They investigate how concepts related to field models can be applied to construct motors, maintain satellite orbits and to accelerate particles including in a synchrotron.
Investigate and analyse theoretically and practically the force on a current carrying conductor due to an external magnetic field, F = nIlB, where the directions of I and B are either perpendicular or parallel to each other.
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