Electromagnetism · Rotating Charge

A spinning charged cone makes a magnetic field on its axis

A hollow cone carries charge spread evenly across its surface. Spin it about the z-axis and every charge starts circling — moving charge is current, and current makes a magnetic field. Far above the cone, that field behaves like a single dipole.

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Angular speed ω 0.55
Surface chargeQ spread over the cone
Current ringseach circling charge band
Magnetic field Bat far point P on the axis

Three steps to the answer

01 / SLICE

Cut into rings

Split the surface into thin horizontal bands. A band at height z has radius r = (R/h)·z and holds a slice of the total charge.

r = (R / h) · z
02 / SPIN

Each ring is a current

As the cone turns, every band's charge goes around once per revolution. That circulating charge is a current loop — a tiny magnetic dipole.

dI = (dq · ω) / 2π
03 / SUM

Add the dipoles

Sum every ring's dipole moment to get the cone's total moment m. From far away (z ≫ R, h) only this net dipole matters.

B ∝ m / z³
Field at (0, 0, z), z ≫ R, h
B = n · (μ₀ / 4π) · (Q R² ω / z³)

The whole problem reduces to finding the net dipole moment, then reading off the constant n. The z⁻³ falloff is the fingerprint of a dipole.