Magnetic Wire Force Calculator
Calculate the magnetic-force magnitude on a straight current-carrying wire in a uniform field, including angle and force-per-length.
YOUR CALCULATION
Result
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Calculation steps
Work through one step at a time or reveal the complete calculation. The steps use your current inputs.
How to calculate
Convert current, active wire length and flux density to SI. Multiply IℓB by sinθ; report the magnitude and separately show force per active length.
F=IℓB sinθ
Worked example
A 20 A current through 5 cm of wire perpendicular to a 1.5 T field experiences a force magnitude of 1.5 N. Parallel or antiparallel alignment gives zero.
Assumptions and input details
Straight wire segment, steady current and uniform externally specified magnetic field. Angle is 0–180° and the result is a magnitude. Direction requires the vector right-hand rule and is not inferred from one scalar angle. Self-field, torque, heating, supports, motion, fringe fields and safety limits are excluded.
References: OpenStax: magnetic force on a current-carrying conductor
Unit definitions
Unit selection is independent of language. Each selector contains only units for its physical quantity. Calculations use defined base units internally.
Choose from 23 length definitions, including explicitly labelled regional measures. Area conversions square the length factor; geometric volumes cube it.
Regional measures are not interchangeable merely because their names look similar. This is a documented selection, not a claim to include every historical unit.
SI prefixes are explicit: for example, milli means one thousandth, micro one millionth and kilo one thousand. Changing a unit changes the interpretation of the entered number.
NIST measurement tables · Japanese traditional units · Mainland China and Hong Kong unit distinctions
Using this calculator
Can I enter my own problem?
Yes. Replace the example values with your own inputs. The result, calculation steps, tables and applicable diagrams update from those inputs. Blank or invalid values clear the result; example values are never silently substituted for missing inputs.
Are the results exact?
Results use floating-point arithmetic and displayed rounding. Read the formula, assumptions and any stated data precision before interpreting the result.
Is my input uploaded?
The calculation runs in your browser. No account, file upload or external AI service is required. Inputs are not saved between page reloads.
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