The Magnetic Field

around a Solenoid
Twisting a wire into a coil creates a solenoid.

A solenoid is a coil of wire that produces a magnetic field when a current flows through it.

The magnetic fields around each loop of the coil combine to form a single, uniform magnetic field
which is stronger than that of the same piece of wire when straightened.

Inside the solenoid Outside the solenoid

◣ parallel field lines ◥ looped field lines

◣ strongest magnetic field ◥ weaker magnetic field
◣ field lines are ◥ field lines are
close together further apart

solenoid

magnetic field line

direction of conventional current

The strength of the magnetic field around a solenoid can be increased by increasing the current
flowing through the coil of wire.

The direction of the magnetic field can be reversed by reversing the current flowing through the
loop of wire.

The direction of the conventional current through the solenoid can be used to determine the location
of its magnetic poles.

At the north pole

At the south pole
of a solenoid,
of a solenoid,
conventional
conventional current
current flows in
flows in a clockwise
an anticlockwise
direction.
direction.