MAGNETIC EFFECT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT
Magnet-
A magnet is a material that produces a field that attracts or repels materials of magnetic nature.
Lodestone is a naturally occurring magnet. It attracts materials like Iron, Nickel, Cobalt, etc.
Properties of Magnet
• Every magnet has north and south poles.
• Same poles repel each other and unlike poles attract each other.
• A freely suspended magnet will align itself in north south direction, north facing north of the magnet and
south facing south of the magnet.
Magnetic field (B)
The region around a magnet where its magnetic influence can be experienced is called a magnetic field.
The direction and strength of a magnetic field are represented by magnetic lines of force.
MAGNETIC FIELD LINES : Magnetic field lines are the imaginary lines used to show magnetic field in a
given region. These are also known as magnetic lines of forces.
PROPERTIES OF MAGNETIC FIELD LINES
1. The field lines emerge from North Pole and merge at the South Pole outside the magnet. Inside the
magnet, the direction of field lines is from its south pole to its north pole.
2. the magnetic field lines are closed curves.
3. The relative strength of the magnetic field is shown by the degree of closeness of the field lines.
4. No two field-lines are found to cross each other or intersect each other, because, if they did, it
would mean that at the point of intersection, the compass needle would point towards two
directions, which is not possible.
Magnetic Field Due to a Current Carrying Conductor
Oersted’s experiment
When electric current flows through a current carrying conductor, it produces a magnetic field
around it. This can be seen with the help of a magnetic needle which shows deflection.
The more the current, the higher the deflection.
If the direction of current is reversed, the direction of deflection is also reversed.
MAGNETIC FIELD DUE TO A CURRENT THROUGH A STRAIGHT CONDUCTOR
The magnetic field lines around a straight conductor carrying current are concentric circles whose centre
lie on the wire.
ACTIVITY-
➢ To plot the magnetic field lines around a straight current carrying conductor.
➢ Insert a thick wire through the centre, normal to the plane of a rectangular cardboard.
➢ Connect the ends of the wire with a battery, a variable resistance (or a rheostat), an ammeter• and
a plug key. Sprinkle some iron filings uniformly on the cardboard.
➢ Close the key so that a current flows through the wire.
➢ Gently tap the cardboard a few times.
➢ OBSERVATION- It is observed that the iron filings align themselves showing a pattern of
concentric circles around the copper wire. These concentric circles represent the magnetic field
lines
Right-hand thumb rule
If a straight conductor is held in the right hand in such a way that the thumb points along the
direction of the current, then the tips of the fingers or the curl of the fingers show the direction of
magnetic field around it.
MAGNETIC FIELD DUE TO A CURRENT THROUGH A CIRCULAR LOOP
➢ At every point of a current-carrying circular loop, the concentric circles represent the
magnetic field around it.
➢ The concentric circles become larger and larger as we move away from the wire
➢ At the centre of the circular loop, the lines appear as straight lines
➢ If there is a circular coil having n turns, the field produced is n times as large as that
produced by a single turn. This is because the current in each circular turn has the same
direction, and the field due to each turn then just adds up.
➢ The magnetic field is maximum at the center of this loop.