State the rule used to find the direction of magnetic field produced by a straight current-carrying conductor. Explain i

Question

State the rule used to find the direction of magnetic field produced by a straight current-carrying conductor. Explain it briefly.

Accepted Answer

The rule used to find the direction of magnetic field produced by a straight current-carrying conductor is the Right-Hand Thumb Rule. It is also known as Maxwell's corkscrew rule. Statement: Imagine that you are holding a current-carrying straight conductor in your right hand such that the thumb points in the direction of electric current. Then your fingers will wrap around the conductor in the direction of the field lines of the magnetic field. Explanation: This rule provides a simple and direct visual correlation between the direction of conventional electric current flowing through a linear conductor and the resulting circular magnetic field lines looping around it. If the current flows vertically upwards, the magnetic field lines circulate in an anticlockwise direction when viewed from above. Conversely, if the current flows vertically downwards, the magnetic field lines circulate in a clockwise direction. This relationship is fundamental in electromagnetism for plotting magnetic fields around various conductors and forms the basis for understanding more complex devices like solenoids and electromagnets.

Magnetic Effects of Electric Current

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