Small-angle magnetic dipole oscillation ($T=2\pi \sqrt{J/(m_{B}B)}$)

A magnetic dipole of fixed magnitude $m_B$, free to rotate about an axis with moment of inertia $J$, has potential energy $-m_{B}B\cos \theta$ in a uniform magnetic field. Near stable alignment, $J\ddot{\theta }=-m_{B}B\theta$, so its small-angle period is $2\pi \sqrt{J/(m_{B}B)}$. This neglects damping, bearing friction and any other restoring torque.

For a light nonmagnetic rod of length $l$ wound uniformly with $N$ thin turns of mean radius $a$, the magnetic dipole moment is $m_B=NI\pi a^2$. Wire of cross-sectional area $A_w$ and density $\rho$ has mass approximately $M=2\pi aN\rho A_w$. The transverse central moment of inertia is $J=M(l^2/12+a^2/2)$ in the thin-winding approximation. Consequently the oscillation period in a transverse magnetic field does not depend on the number of turns: wire inertia and magnetic moment both scale with $N$.