Question

What is the force on a stationary charge in a magnetic field?

Answer 1

Zero.

Explanation:

The force acting on a charge in a magnetic field is given by:

`F=abs(q_o)Bv(sinphi)`

where `abs(q_o)` is the magnitude of the charge, `B` is the strength of the magnetic field, `v` is the velocity of the charge, and `phi` is the angle between the magnetic field and the velocity.

For a stationary charge `v=0`, which implies that the force on a stationary charge in a magnetic field is zero. This is also true of a charge moving parallel to the magnetic field, where `phi=0^o` and therefore `sin(0^o)=0`.