PHYS 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Right-Hand Rule

• School: McGill University
• Department: Physics
• Course: PHYS 102
• Professor: Nikolaos Provatas

Document Summary

Direction of magnetic field lines is same way a compass will point. Denser towards the poles of the magnets, weaker towards the center. Hold up hand, thumb points in direction of current, and fingers will curl around the direction of the magnetic field. The b field line (magnetic field line) will curl in the way your fingers move. Combining many loops into a coil = effectively constant magnetic field in the direction of the coil. Point in direction of current with pointer finger, then point in direction of b field with middle finger, then your thumb will be pointing in direction of the force. Two wires next to each other, and they will deflect. Top wire causes downward magnetic field for lower wire, and then lower wire causes upward magnetic field for upper wire. Two wires where currents are going in same direction are attracted, two wires with current going in opposite direction will repel.