Question

State the rule to determine the direction of a magnetic field produced around a straight conductor carrying current.

Answer 1

Hint: Using Maxwell’s Right Hand Thumb Rule, we can state direction of a magnetic field produced around a straight conductor carrying current.

Complete step by step answer:(i) Maxwell’s Right Hand Thumb Rule:
The- direction of the magnetic field produced by a current-carrying conductor is given by Maxwell’s right hand thumb rule.

It states that if you hold the current-carrying conductor in your right hand such that the thumb points in the direction of the current, then the direction in which the fingers encircle, gives the direction of magnetic lines. This rule is also called Maxwell’s Corkscrew Rule.
This rule can also be stated as if we consider ourselves driving a corkscrew in the direction of the current, then the direction in which we rotate the screw is the direction of the magnetic field.

Fleming’s Left Hand Rule:
The direction of force which acts on the current-carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field is given by Fleming’s left hand rule.

It states that if the forefinger, thumb and middle finger of the left hand are stretched mutually perpendicular and the forefinger points along the direction of the external magnetic field, the middle finger indicates the direction of current, then the thumb points along the direction of force acting on the conductor.
(iii) Fleming’s Right Hand Rule:
The direction of induced current in a straight conductor is given by Fleming’s right hand rule.
It states that if we stretch the thumb, forefinger and the middle finger of the right hand at right angles to one another in such a way that the forefinger points in the direction of the magnetic field.
Then, the thumb gives the direction of motion of the conductor (force), the forefinger indicates the direction of the magnetic field and the middle finger points the direction of induced current.

Note:It states that if you hold the current-carrying conductor in your right hand such that the thumb points in the direction of the current, then the direction in which the fingers encircle, gives the direction of magnetic lines.