MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC
CURRENT
Oersted Experiment
The experiment of Oersted showed that there is a connection between electricity
and magnetism. He observed that a conductor carrying a current can deflect a
magnetic compass which is placed nearby. On this basis it was concluded that
the current carrying creates a magnetic field.
• If the direction of the current is reversed, the direction of the magnetic
force reverses.
• The strength of the field is directly proportional to the magnitude of the
current.
• The strength of the field at any point is inversely proportional to the
distance of the point from the wire.
Magnetic field
The region around a magnet where its magnetic influence can be experienced is
called a magnetic field.
Magnetic field lines
• The imaginary lines of magnetic field around a magnet are called field line
or field line of magnet.
• Field line of a magnet can also be detected using a compass.
• Magnetic field is a vector quantity, i.e. it has both direction and
magnitude.
Properties of magnetic field lines
• They form closed loops.
• They never intersect each other.
• The magnetic field lines are crowded near the pole where the field is strong
and spread apart from each other where the field is weak.
• They flow from the south pole to the north pole within a magnet and north
pole to south pole in outside.
Magnetic Field Due to a Straight Current-Carrying Conductor
When current is passed through a straight current-carrying conductor, a
magnetic field is produced around it. Using the iron filings, we can observe that
they align themselves in concentric circles around the conductor.
Magnetic field produced by a current-carrying wire at a given point depends
• directly on the current passing through it and
• inversely on the distance from it.
Right-Hand Thumb Rule
If a current carrying conductor is held by right hand, keeping the thumb straight
and if the direction of electric current is in the direction of thumb, then the
direction of wrapping of other fingers will show the direction of magnetic field.
Magnetic Field due to a Current through a Circular Loop
At every point of current carrying circular loop, the concentric circles
representing the magnetic field around it becomes larger and larger as we move
away from the wire. At the center of the loop, the field appears as a straight line.
The magnetic field produced by current-carrying circular wire at a given point
depends on:
• Amount of current flowing through the wire,
• The number of turns of the coil
• The radius of the coil
Magnetic Field due to a Current in a Solenoid
Solenoid: A solenoid is a coil of many circular windings wrapped in the shape
of a cylinder.
• When current is passed through it, it behaves similarly to a bar magnet,
producing a very similar field pattern as that of a bar magnet.
• One end of the solenoid behaves as a magnetic north pole, while the other
behaves as the south pole.
• The field lines inside the solenoid are in the form of parallel straight lines.
That is, the field is uniform inside the solenoid.
• By producing a strong magnetic field inside the solenoid, magnetic
materials can be magnetized. Magnet formed by producing magnetic field
inside a solenoid is called electromagnet.
• Ways to strengthen this electromagnet:
(a) Increase the amount of electric current through it.
(b) Increase the number of turns of coil.
(c) Use soft iron as the core.
Electromagnet
An electro magnet is a temporary magnet made by winding wire around an iron
core. When current flows in the coil the iron becomes a magnet, and when the
current is turned off it loses its magnetic properties.
Uses of Electromagnets:
• Electric Motors and Generators
• MRI machines
• Doorbells
• Electric stoves, ovens, refrigerators, irons, toasters,
• cranes and other lifting equipment
• Hard Drives
PermanentMagnet Electromagnet
Theyarepermanentlymagnetized. Theyaretemporarilymagnetized.
Theyareusuallymadeofhardmaterials.Theyareusuallymadeofsoftmaterials.
MagneticfieldofapermanentmagnetisElectromagnetgivesastrongmagneticfield
weak.
ThestrengthofthemagneticfieldlineareThestrengthofthemagneticfieldlinescanbe
constantie.itcannotbevaried variedaccordingtoourneedbyincreasingor
decreasingelectriccurrentthroughthesolenoid
ThepolesofapermanentmagnetcannotThepolesofelectro-magnetcanbealteredby
bechanged reversingthedirectionofelectriccurrentthrough
thesolenoid.
ExampleofpermanentmagnetisaBarExampleofatemporarymagnetissolenoid
Magnet woundedacrossanailandconnectedtoabattery.
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