Magnetic force formulas

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globy321

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When do you use the magnetic force formula F=qvB vs. F=ILB?

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From what I understand, you would use F=qvb when you have a point charge moving through a magnetic field and use F=ILB when you have current running through a wire suspended in a magnetic field.
 
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When do you use the magnetic force formula F=qvB vs. F=ILB?


When you have a charge moving you use F = qvB, when you have a current running through a wire you would use F = ILB

Keep in mind though those formulas normally involve the cross products of vectors. The formulas as you've written them only give you the magnitude of the force when the velocity (or current in the second formula) is perpendicular to the magnetic field.
 
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