A \"rail gun\" is a device with two rails, like railroad track, and a conducting

Question

A "rail gun" is a device with two rails, like railroad track, and a conducting rod laid across. Current is passed from one rail to the other via the rod. Rail separation is 1.5 m. A magnetic field, pointing down into the earth for our case here, provides the means of forcing the rod to move. Show this below, indicating the direction of the current, and movement of the rod. If the rod has a mass of 4 gm, and ignoring friction, what would the magnetic field need to be to give an acceleration of 5 m/ s if current is 500 A?

Explanation / Answer

F=iLB

So ma=iLB

B=ma/iL=0.004*5/(500*1.5)=2.67 x 10^-5 T

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.