MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF CURRENT

Activity Solution
 ACTIVITY 1

Activity 13.1 asks us to place a copper wire near a

compass and switch on the current.
Observation: Compass needle deflects when
electricity passes through the copper wire.

Explanation: Whenever there is a change in the current, it produces an electric field. In

normal usage, a compass detects the magnetic field of the earth. When we bring the
compass near a wire and pass current, an artificial magnetic filed produces. This artificial
magnetic field deflects the compass.

Conclusion: This phenomenon shows the relationship between the current flowing
through a wire and its magnetic effect. It shows that a current produces magnetic filed
which deflect the compass.
 ACTIVITY 2

Brief Procedure: Activity 13.2 asks us to dust

some iron filings near a bar magnet.
Observation: Iron filings arrange themselves
in a fixed parabolic pattern.

Explanation: The force of attraction differs from place to place near a magnet and forms a
magnetic field of characteristic shape. When we dust the iron filings, iron particles
arrange themselves in a fixed pattern as per the nearby magnetic field around the bar
magnet.

Conclusion: A magnet has a magnetic field in its surrounding which differ from place to
place.
 ACTIVITY 3

Brief Procedure: Activity 13.3 asks us to move a compass

on a magnet from one pole to the second pole.

Observation: The compass needle always remains in

one direction i.e. North pole of the needle always point
towards the south.

Explanation: When we place the compass near a magnet, the north pole of the compass
aligns itself to the south pole of the magnet. When we move the compass only the
magnetic field intensity changes; the direction of the pole remains the same. As a result,
we see the same direction in the compass near a magnet.
Conclusion: Here we see that poles of a magnet attract the opposite poles only. This
means the magnetic field has a direction. For convention, we assume the magnetic field
emerges from the north and goes into the south.
 ACTIVITY 4

Brief Procedure: Activity 13.4 asks us to change the

direction of current in a wire and see the deflection in
the compass.

Observation: When we reverse the direction of the current,

compass needle also reverses its direction.

If current flows from north to south, the direction of the

needle is east; similarly, if the direction of current is
reversed the direction of compass point towards west.
 ACTIVITY 4

Explanation:  When we pass current into a wire, it produces

a magnetic field. This field is perpendicular to the direction
of the current. So, if current flows from north to south, east
becomes the north pole of the magnetic field. In such a
situation the south pole of magnet aligns with the north pole
and see compass directing towards the east.

Similarly, if we change the direction of the current by

changing the terminals of the battery, the direction of
current reverses. This results in the production of a magnetic
field in the opposite direction. As a result, the compass also
reverses its direction.

Conclusion: Magnetic filed is a vector quantity.