Lorentz force (redirected from Lorenz force)

Lorentz force

n.

The orthogonal force on a charged particle traveling in a magnetic field.

---

[After Hendrik Lorentz.]

---

Lorentz force

The total force exerted on a charged particle by electric and magnetic fields. All charged particles encounter a force from an electric field, oriented in the direction of the field (or the opposite direction, depending on the sign of the charge), while moving charged particles also encounter a force oriented at a right angle to both the direction of motion and the magnetic field. The Lorentz force is the driving force in electromagnets and is responsible for the Hall effect. The Lorentz force is named for Henrik Lorentz. See also electromagnetism.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Lorentz force - the force experienced by a point charge moving along a wire that is in a magnetic field; the force is at right angles to both the current and the magnetic field; "the Lorentz force can be used to suspend a current-carrying object between two magnets" force - (physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity; "force equals mass times acceleration"