Oxford International School

Physics
Electromagnetism

Magnetic effect of current – When current passes through a straight wire, a magnetic field is
produced around the wire. The magnetic field is very weak, so which cannot be experienced very
easily. This field has some characteristics such as:

• The magnetic field lines are circular.

• The field is strongest close to he wire.
• Increasing the amount of current the strength of the magnetic field increases.

Determining the direction of magnetic field – To determine the direction of magnetic field, we
use the right-hand grip rule, where the thumb shows the direction of current and the rest of the
fingers shows the direction of the magnetic field lines.