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What are Magnetic Effects of Electric Current: Class 10th Notes, Right and Left-Hand Thumb Rules

Nikita Parmar

Updated on 31st July, 2023 , 6 min read

Magnetic Effects of Electric Current Overview 

When an electric current flows across a wire, it acts similarly to a magnet. This is the electric current's magnetic effect. If an electric current does not flow through, the magnetic effect is lost. Electromagnets are made out of wire coils. A magnetic field is a force field that is formed by magnetic dipoles and moving electric charges, and it exerts a force on other surrounding moving charges and magnetic dipoles. The magnetic field is a vector quantity since it has both magnitude and direction.

What is the Magnetic Effects of Electric Current?

The magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials is defined as a magnetic field. The term "magnetic effect of electric current" refers to the fact that an electric current running through a wire creates a magnetic field around it. Iron, steel, nickel, and cobalt are all metals. A current-carrying conductor generates a magnetic field that may be seen using magnetic lines of force or magnetic field lines. The magnetic field lines that surround a straight current carrying wire are concentric circles with the center at the conductor's axis.

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Magnetic Field and Field Lines

The magnetic field is the influence of forces surrounding a magnet. The force produced by a magnet in the magnetic field may be sensed using a compass or any other magnet. The imaginary magnetic field lines that surround a magnet are referred to as field lines or field lines of the magnet. When iron fillings are allowed to settle around a bar magnet, they form a pattern that resembles magnetic field lines. A compass may also be used to identify the field line of a magnet. The magnetic field is a vector quantity, which means that it has both direction and magnitude.

Direction of Field Line:- The magnetic field line is drawn from the north pole to the south pole outside the magnet. The magnetic field line is drawn from the south pole to the north pole within the magnet. 

Strength of magnetic field:- The proximity of field lines indicates the relative strength of the magnetic field, with closer lines indicating a stronger magnetic field and vice versa. Crowded field lines near magnet poles have greater strength.

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Properties of a Magnetic Field

The following are some properties of a Magnetic field-

  1. The magnitude of the magnetic field increases as the electric current increases and decreases as the electric current drops.
  2. The magnitude of the magnetic field created by an electric current reduces as distance increases and vice versa.
  3. The size of concentric circles formed by magnetic field lines grows as one moves away from the conductor, indicating that the magnetic field diminishes with distance.
  4. Magnetic field lines are always perpendicular to one another.
  5. No two field lines intersect. 

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Magnetic Field as a result of a Current Carrying Conductor

The magnetic field is caused by electricity flowing through a Straight Wire

A magnetic field in the form of concentric circles surrounds a current-carrying straight wire. These lines can depict the magnetic field of a current carrying a straight wire. The magnetic field direction via a current-carrying conductor is determined by the direction of electric current flow. When the direction of the electric current changes, the magnetic field direction reverses. Allow an electric current to flow from the south to the north through a current-carrying conductor hung vertically. In this situation, the magnetic field will rotate anticlockwise. If the current flows from north to south, the magnetic field will rotate clockwise.

The magnetic field produced by electricity flowing through a Circular Loop

The field lines become straight as they approach the center of the circular loop. They become perpendicular to the coil as well. The magnetic field direction may be determined using the right-hand thumb rule.

Factors influencing the intensity of a magnetic field generated by a circular wire carrying current

The magnetic field's strength is- 

  1. Proportional to the amount of current passing through the conductor.
  2. The distance between the conductor and the spectator is inversely proportional to the distance between the conductor and the observer.
  3. The number of coil turns is directly proportional to the number of coil turns.

The magnetic field is produced by electricity flowing via a Solenoid

A solenoid is a coil comprising numerous circular turns of insulated copper wire wrapped tightly in the shape of a cylinder. The magnetic field of a solenoid is comparable to that of a bar magnet. When current flows through a solenoid, one end acts as the North or South pole. The field lines function as parallel straight lines that indicate the homogeneity of the solenoid. 

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Right-Hand Thumb Rule

Assume you have a straight current-carrying conductor in your right hand, with your thumb pointing in the direction of the current. Then, in the direction of the magnetic field lines, wrap your fingers around the conductor. The Right-Hand Thumb Rule may be used to show the direction of the magnetic field in relation to the direction of electric current via a straight conductor. Maxwell's Corkscrew Rule is another name for it.  

If a current-carrying conductor is held in the right hand with the thumb straight and the direction of electric current is in the direction of the thumb, the direction of the wrap of the other fingers will reveal the magnetic field direction. If we assume ourselves to be driving a corkscrew in the present direction, then the corkscrew's direction is the magnetic field's direction. According to Maxwell's corkscrew rule, if the direction of forwarding movement of the screw indicates the direction of the current, the direction of rotation indicates the direction of the magnetic field.

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Effects of Electric Current

Electric current has three distinct impacts-

  1. Magnetic Effects
  2. Heating Effects
  3. Chemical Effects 

When an electric current travels via a wire, a magnetic field is created around the wire, which may be measured using a compass. There is a magnitude and a direction to the magnetic field. If the electric current runs north to south, the magnetic compass will deflect clockwise, showing that the direction of the magnetic field is dependent on the direction of the electric current. Magnetic lines are said to arise from the north pole and combine at the south pole. Magnetic field lines from two magnets cannot intersect. The magnitude of the magnetic field grows as the electric current across the wire increases. The magnetic field is measured in Tesla units. Electricity and magnetism are inextricably linked, and it has been demonstrated that an electric current passing through a copper wire causes a magnetic effect.

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Electromagnet and Electromagnetism

An electromagnet is a temporary magnet that can be readily demagnetized and whose polarity may be reversed. An electromagnet's strength may be modified, but it is significantly stronger than a conventional magnet. An electromagnet is a man-made magnet that generates a magnetic field by passing an electric current via a conductor. When the current is turned off, the magnetic field disappears.

Electromagnetismis the phenomenon of creating and forming a magnetic field as a result of the passage of an electric current.

Fleming's Left-Hand Rule

According to Fleming's left-hand rule, if the left hand is stretched so that the thumb, index finger, and middle finger are in mutually perpendicular directions and the index finger represents the direction of the field, the middle finger represents the direction of the current, and the thumb represents the direction of the force, then the thumb gives us the direction of the force. The directions of the electric current, magnetic field, and forces are analogous to the three mutually perpendicular axes x, y, and z. Electric motors, generators, loudspeakers, and other devices are based on Fleming's left-hand rule.

Fleming's Right-Hand Rule

The direction of the induced current is determined by Fleming's right-hand rule. If the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger of the right hand are stretched perpendicular to each other, and the forefinger indicates the direction of the magnetic field and the thumb indicates the direction of motion, then the middle finger indicates the direction of the induced current in the conductor.

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Electromagnetic induction

Electromagnetic induction is the generation of electricity as a result of magnetism or induced current. Electric current is induced in a conductor when it is claimed to move inside a magnetic field or when a magnetic field is set to change around it. This action is the inverse of the force exerted by the current-carrying conductor within a magnetic field. In other words, when a conductor is moved relative to a magnetic field, a potential difference is created, which is known as electromagnetic induction.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is the magnetic effect of an electric current?

Ans. When an electric current flows across a wire, it acts similarly to a magnet. This is the electric current’s magnetic effect. If an electric current does not flow through, the magnetic effect is lost. Electromagnets are made out of wire coils.

What would the magnetic field lines look like in a circular current-carrying loop?

Ans. Magnetic field lines in a current-carrying circular loop would be concentric circles, and field lines would become straight and perpendicular to the plane of the coil at the center of the circular wire.

What is the magnetic field line’s direction?

Ans. Magnetic field lines go from the south pole to the north pole within the magnet and from the north pole to the south pole outside of the magnet.

What is the Right-Hand Thumb Rule?

Ans. Assume that one has a straight current-carrying conductor in your right hand, with your thumb pointing in the direction of the current. Then, wrap your fingers around the conductor in the direction of the magnetic field’s field lines. Maxwell’s corkscrew rule is another name for the Right-Hand Thumb rule. If we assume ourselves to be driving a corkscrew in the present direction, then the corkscrew’s direction is the magnetic field’s direction.

What is electromagnetic induction?

Electromagnetic induction is the generation of electricity as a result of magnetism or induced current. Electric current is induced in a conductor when it is claimed to move inside a magnetic field or when a magnetic field is set to change around it. This action is the inverse of the force exerted by the current-carrying conductor within a magnetic field. In other words, when a conductor is moved relative to a magnetic field, a potential difference is created, which is known as electromagnetic induction.

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