Final answer:
The direction of magnetic force on a current-carrying conductor depends on the right-hand rule, which involves the direction of current and magnetic field, and it is calculated with the equations F = I x B for force and τ = μ x B for torque.
Step-by-step explanation:
Factors Influencing the Direction of Magnetic Force on a Current-Carrying Conductor
The force experienced by a current-carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field depends on several factors. Firstly, the direction of the force is given by the right-hand rule (RHR-1), where the thumb points in the direction of the conventional current (flow of positive charge) and the fingers indicate the direction of the magnetic field lines. In cases where electrons carry the current, the direction of the conventional current would be opposite to the electron flow. According to the formula F = I x B, where F is the force, I is the current, and B is the magnetic field, the force exerted on the wire is perpendicular to both the current and the magnetic field. The formula simplifies to F = IBLsin(θ) when the angle between the current and the magnetic field is 90 degrees, as the sine of 90 degrees is 1. This results in the force being of maximum magnitude at this angle. Lastly, for a current-carrying loop, while the net force is zero, there is a net torque given by τ = μ x B, indicating the influence of the magnetic dipole moment μ and the magnetic field B.
In summary, the factors affecting the direction of the magnetic force on a current-carrying conductor are the direction of current flow, the direction of the magnetic field, and the orientation of the wire relative to the field, best determined by the right-hand rule.