Question
A compass is placed directly on top of a wire (needle not shown). The current in the wire flows to the right. Which way does the north end of the needle point? Explain. (Neglect the Earth's magnetic field.)
Step 1
Point your thumb in the direction of the current (to the right); your fingers curl around the wire. At the point directly above the wire your curled fingers point into the plane of the page. Show more…
Show all steps
Your feedback will help us improve your experience
Vishal Gupta and 90 other Physics 102 Electricity and Magnetism educators are ready to help you.
Ask a new question
Labs
Want to see this concept in action?
Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.
Key Concepts
Recommended Videos
A compass is placed directly on top of a wire (needle not shown). The current in the wire flows to the right. Which way does the north end of the needle point? Explain. (Ignore Earth's magnetic field.)
A compass is placed directly on top of a wire (needle not shown). The current in the wire flows to the right. Which way does the north not shown). The current in the wire flows to the right. Which way does the north. (FIGURE CANNOT COPY)
A straight current-carrying wire is horizontal and oriented south to north. When a compass needle is placed below or above it, in what direction does the compass needle point?
Transcript
Watch the video solution with this free unlock.
EMAIL
PASSWORD