Chapter 13- Magnetic Effects of Electric Current

Magnetic Effect of Current (ELECTRO-MAGNETISM)

When an electric current is passed through a conductor, a magnetic field is produced around it and
the conductor itself behaves like a magnet. This phenomenon is called magnetic effect of current.
This was discovered by Hans Christian Oersted.

Magnetic Field: The region surrounding a magnet in which magnetic force is exerted is called a
magnetic field. The magnetic field has both magnitude as well as direction. Therefore, it is a vector
quantity. The strength of magnetic field is measured in a unit called Tesla (T).
The direction of magnetic field at a point is, the direction of a unit north pole placed at that point.

Magnetic Field Lines: A magnetic field is described by drawing magnetic field lines. The magnetic
field lines are the lines drawn in a magnetic field along which a north magnetic pole would move.
The direction of a magnetic field line at any point gives the direction of magnetic force on a north
pole placed at that point.

Characteristic Properties of Magnetic Field Lines (IMPORTANT)

i. The magnetic field lines are closed and continuous curves.

ii. The magnetic field lines originate from the north pole of the magnet and end at its south
pole. Inside the magnet, the magnetic field lines are directed from south pole to the north
pole of the magnet.
iii. The magnetic field lines are crowded near the poles of a magnet but they are widely
separated at other places. The relative strength of the magnetic field is shown by the degree
of closeness of field lines. If the magnetic field lines are closer together, it indicates a
stronger magnetic field. On the other hand, when the field lines are widely separated, it
indicates a weak magnetic field.
iv. Two magnetic field lines never intersect each other. This is because if two field lines
intersect, it would mean that at the point of intersection, the compass needle would point
towards two directions, which is not possible.

Sketch the pattern of magnetic field lines around a bar magnet. (IMPORTANT)
With the help of neat diagrams, describe an activity to show magnetic effect of current OR
Experimental demonstrations of magnetic effect of current. (IMPORTANT)

i. Connect a long straight copper wire, a battery and a plug key in series as shown in the figure.
ii. Place the straight wire parallel to and over the compass needle.
iii. The circuit is switched on. We can see that the north pole of the needle gets deflected
towards the east.
iv. Reverse the terminal connection of the battery. We can now find that the deflection of the
needle is in the opposite direction i.e., towards west. This means that the direction of
magnetic field gets reversed on reversing the direction of current.

CONCLUSION: The above activity shows that when a current is passed through a conductor, a
magnetic field is produced around it. Also, the direction of magnetic field depends on the direction
of flow of current through the conductor.

Diagram

Magnetic field due to a current carrying straight conductor

When a current is passed through a straight conductor, a magnetic field is produced around it. The
features of magnetic field lines around a straight conductor are listed below:

i. The magnetic field lines around a straight conductor carrying current are concentric circles
whose centres lie on the wire.

ii. The direction of magnetic field lines gets reversed with the reversal of direction of current in
the conductor.

iii. The strength of magnetic field produced due to a current-carrying straight conductor at a
given point is-
- Directly proportional to the strength of current passing in the wire i.e., B ∝ I
I
- Inversely proportional to the distance from the conductor i.e., B ∝
R

iv. The direction of magnetic field produced due to a current carrying straight conductor is
found by applying Maxwell’s Right hand Thumb Rule.
QUESTIONS

Q1. Sketch the pattern of magnetic field lines around a current carrying straight conductor.

Ans. Diagram

Q2. With the help of a neat diagram, describe an activity to study the pattern of field lines due to a
current carrying straight conductor.

Ans.
i. Take a battery, a rheostat, an ammeter, a plug key and a long straight thick copper wire.
ii. Insert the copper wire through the centre of a rectangular cardboard. Connect the copper
wire in series with the battery, ammeter, rheostat and the plug key.
iii. Place a compass needle nearer to the copper wire and sprinkle some iron fillings on the
cardboard.
iv. When the circuit is switched on, we can find that the needle of the compass gets deflected
towards one side.
v. Now, gently tap the cardboard a few times. We find that the iron fillings align themselves
showing a pattern of concentric circles around the copper wire.
vi. The concentric circles represent the magnetic field lines.
vii. Now, reverse the terminal connections of the battery. We find that the needle of the
compass gets deflected in the opposite direction.
viii. The current through the copper wire is increased. It is found that the deflection of the
compass needle also increases.
ix. Now, place the compass needle at a faraway distance from the copper wire. We see that the
deflection in the needle decreases.

CONCLUSION- When a current is passed through a straight wire, a magnetic field is produced around
it. The direction of magnetic field is reversed with the reversal of direction of current.
The strength of magnetic field due to a straight wire is directly proportional to the
current through it and is inversely proportional to the distance from the wire. (Refer
to previous diagram)
MAXWELL’S RIGHT HAND THUMB RULE

This rule is used to determine the direction of magnetic field associated with a current carrying
straight conductor.

Imagine that you are holding a current carrying straight conductor in your right hand such that the
thumb points towards the direction of current. Then your fingers will wrap around the conductor in
the direction of magnetic field lines.

NOTE:
Case (i): If the current flows in the upward direction in the wire, then the magnetic field lines
are in the anti-clockwise direction.

Diagram

Case (ii): When the current in the wire flows in the downward direction, then the field lines
are in the clockwise direction.
(Refer the above diagram)

Magnetic field due to a current-carrying circular loop

The features of magnetic field lines around a circular loop carrying current are listed below:

i. At every point of current carrying circular loop, the magnetic field lines are in the form of
concentric circles.
ii. At the centre of the circular loop, the magnetic field lines appear as straight lines. This
indicates that the strength of magnetic field is uniform at the centre of the circular loop.
iii. The strength of magnetic field produced by a current carrying circular loop at its centre is:
a) Directly proportional to the current passing through the coil i.e., B∝ I
b) Directly proportional to the number of turns in the coil i.e., B∝ n
 1
c) Inversely proportional to the radius of the circular loop i.e., B∝
r

QUESTIONS

Q1. Sketch the pattern of magnetic field lines produced due to a current carrying circular loop.

Ans. Diagram

Q2. With the help of a neat diagram, describe an activity to show the pattern of magnetic field lines
due to a circular loop.
Ans.
i. Take a rectangular cardboard having two holes.
ii. Insert a circular coil having large number of turns through them, normal to the plain of the
carboard.
iii. Connect the ends of the coil in series with a battery, a key and a rheostat as shown in the
figure.
iv. Sprinkle iron fillings uniformly on the cardboard.
v. Switch on the circuit. Tap the cardboard gently a few times and note the pattern of the iron
fillings that emerges on the cardboard.

CONCLUSION: It is found that at every point on the circular coil, the field lines appear as concentric
circles. But, at the centre of the coil they appear as straight lines. It is also found that the strength of
magnetic field due to a circular coil is-
a) Directly proportional to current
b) Directly proportional to the number of turns
c) Inversely proportional to the radius
MAGNETIC FIELD PRODUCED BY A CURRENT CARRYING SOLENOID

Solenoid- A coil of many circular turns of insulated copper wire wrapped closely in the shape of a
cylinder is called a solenoid.

When an electric current is passed through the solenoid, it produces a magnetic field around it. The
magnetic field produced by a current-carrying solenoid is similar to the magnetic field produced by a
bar magnet. In fact, one end of the solenoid behaves as magnetic north pole, and the other end, as a
magnetic south pole. The magnetic field lines inside the solenoid are in the form of parallel straight
lines. This indicates that the strength of magnetic field is the same at all points inside the solenoid. In
other words, the magnetic field is uniform inside the solenoid.

Diagram

Factors on which the strength of a solenoid depends

The strength of a magnetic field produced by a current carrying solenoid depends on:
a) Strength of current in the solenoid: Larger the current passed through the solenoid, stronger
will be the magnetic field produced.
b) Number of turns in the solenoid: Larger the number of turns in the solenoid, greater will be
the magnetism produced.
c) Nature of core material used in making the solenoid: The use of soft iron rod as core in a
solenoid produces the strongest magnetism.

Electromagnet: A strong magnetic field produced inside a solenoid can be used to magnetise a piece
of magnetic material like soft iron when placed inside the coil. The magnet so
formed is called an electromagnet. In short, an electromagnet is a combination of
solenoid and soft iron core.
Difference between
BAR MAGNET
1. A bar magnet is a
permanent magnet which
retains magnetic properties
forever.
2. A permanent magnet
produces a comparatively
weaker magnetic field.
3. A strength of a permanent
magnet cannot be changed.
4. The polarities of a
permanent magnet is fixed.
Important Note :
QUESTIONS
ELECTROMAGNET
1. An electromagnet is a
temporary magnet. It
exhibits magnetism only for
the duration of current
passing through it.
2. An electromagnet can
produce very strong
magnetic field.
3. The strength of an
electromagnet can be
changed by charging the
number of turns in its coil or
by changing the current
passing through it.
4. The polarities of an
electromagnet can be
changed by changing the
direction current in its coil.
1) Why does a compass needle get deflected when brought near a bar magnet?

Ans) The compass needle gets deflected because magnetic force is exerted by the bar magnet on
the compass needle which itself is a tiny pivoted magnet.

2) The magnetic field in a given region is uniform. Sketch the field pattern representing it. Give
2 examples for such magnetic fields.

Ans) A uniform magnetic field is represented by equidistant parallel straight lines as shown
below:

Diagram

Examples: 1. At the centre of a current-carrying circular coil, magnetic field is uniform.

2. Magnetic field inside a current carrying solenoid is uniform.

3) Consider a circular loop of wire lying in the plane of the table. Let the current pass through
the loop clockwise. Apply the right-hand thumb rule to find out the direction of magnetic
field inside and outside the loop.

Ans) Since the current passing through the loop is clockwise, therefore, the front face of the loop
will be the south pole and the back face (i.e., the face touching the table) will be the north
pole.
Applying right-hand thumb rule, the direction of magnetic field inside the loop will be
pointing downwards. Outside the loop, the direction of magnetic field will be upward.

Diagram

4) List three sources of magnetic field.

Ans) i. Magnets
ii. Moving charges
iii. Electric current
 5) How do you determine the north and south poles of current carrying solenoid with the help
of a bar magnet?

Ans) We can determine the north and south poles of a current carrying solenoid with the help of
a bar magnet. For this, we bring the north pole of the bar magnet near the end of a current
carrying solenoid. If there is repulsion, then that end of solenoid is north pole and the other
south pole. On the other hand, if there is attraction, then that end of the solenoid is south
pole and the other end is north pole.

6) List some uses of:

I. Electromagnet:
i. In electric appliances like electric bell, electric fan etc.
ii. In electric motors and generators, a fairly strong electromagnet is
used.
iii. In separating iron from mixture containing iron and other non-
magnetic substance.
iv. To lift an irregular shaped piece of any magnetic substance.
II. Permanent Magnet:
Permanent magnets are used in microphones, loud speakers,
electric clocks, ammeters, voltmeters, speedometers etc.

Force acting on a current-carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field (Motor Principle)

When a current-carrying conductor is placed in a magnetic field (not parallel to the field), it
experiences a mechanical force due to which it starts moving. The continuous motion of the
conductor is used to produce mechanical energy. This is the underlying principle of an electric
motor.

Factors on which the force experienced by a current carrying conductor depends-

Force acting on a current-carrying conductor depends on:

1. Directly proportional to the strength of current passing through the conductor i.e., F α I
2. Directly proportional to the strength of the magnetic field i.e., F α B
3. Directly proportional to the length of the conductor placed perpendicular to the direction of
magnetic field i.e., F α L

Therefore, F= BIL
Note: The direction of force experienced by a current carrying wire is mutually perpendicular to
a) Direction of magnetic field
b) Direction of current
Flemings Left Hand Rule : This rule is used to determine the direction of force ( or motion)
experienced by current carrying conductor in a magnetic field.
Statement: According to this rule, stretch the thumb, fore finger and middle finger of left hand such
that they are mutually perpendicular to each other. If the fore finger points in the direction of
magnetic field and middle finger in the direction of current, then the thumb will point towards the
direction of motion (or force) acting on the conductor

QUESTIONS

1. Under what conditions, the force acting on a current carrying conductor in a magnetic field
becomes:
a) Maximum
b) Minimum

Ans.
a) A current carrying conductor experiences maximum force when the direction of current is
perpendicular to the direction of magnetic field. For this, the conductor should be placed
perpendicular to the direction of magnetic fields.
b) A current carrying conductor experiences minimum force when the direction of current is
along the direction of magnetic field (i.e., when the conductor is placed parallel to the
magnetic field).

2. With the help of a neat diagram describe an activity to show that a current carrying
conductor experiences a force in a uniform magnetic field.

Ans. Textbook Activity 13.7, Page 230 (Fig 13.12)

DOMESTIC ELECTRIC CIRCUITS

QUESTIONS

1. What is the potential difference between the live wire and neutral wire all over India?

Ans. 220V

2. Draw a neat schematic diagram of one of the common domestic electric circuits.

Ans. Page 238, Diag. 13.2

3.
a) Distinguish between DC and AC.

Direct Current (DC) Alternating Current (AC)

A current that always flows in A current which changes
 one direction is called direct directions after equal
current (DC). intervals of time is called
alternating current (AC)

b) What do you mean by the term frequency of AC? What is its value in India?

Ans) Frequency of AC is defined as the number of times alternating current changes its
direction in one second. The frequency of AC in India is 50 Hertz.

c) What is the main advantage of AC over DC?

Ans) The greatest advantage of AC over DC is that electric power can be transmitted over long
distances without much loss of energy.
4. Describe the 2 different types of circuits in a house.
Ans: The 2 separate circuits in a house are
I. The lighting circuit with a 5A fuse- This circuit is used for running those appliances
which draw small current. Eg – fan, bulb, TV, radio
II. The power circuit with 15A fuse- power circuits is used for running those appliances
which draw heavy current. Eg- Electric iron, aircoolers, room heater etc.

5. What are the methods to prevent overloading of domestic appliances?

Ans) As a result of overloading, the connecting wires get overheated and the appliances may get
damaged. To avoid this, the following measures must be taken:
i. The wires used in the circuit must be coated with good insulating materials like PVC etc.
ii. The circuit must be divided into different sections and a safety fuse must be used in
each section.
iii. High power appliances like air conditioner, refrigerator, water heater etc. should not be
used simultaneously.
iv. Do not connect many electrical appliances to a single socket.

6. Write a short note on:

a) Short Circuit:
Short Circuit occurs when the live wire and neutral wire come into direct contact. This
happens when the insulation of wires is damaged or if there is a fault in the appliance.
In such a situation, the current in the circuit increases enormously. This can lead to the
heating up of wires and cause fires.

b) Overloading:
When a number of high power rating appliances are operated at the same time, they
draw an enormous current from the circuit. This is known as overloading of the circuit.
Due to this, the wires get heated to a very high temperature and a fire may be started.

7. What do you mean by earthing of metallic appliances? Why is it necessary?

Ans) The metallic body of electric appliances like electric iron, toaster, table fan etc, is connected to
the earth wire which has an insulation of green colour. The earth wire is used a safety measure,
especially for those appliances that have a metallic body. The earth wire provides a low resistance
conducting path for the current. This, it ensures that any leakage of current to the metallic body of
the appliance keeps its potential to that of the earth, and the user may not get a severe electric
shock.

8. Name two safety measures commonly used in domestic circuits.

Ans) i. Electric fuse

ii. Earthing of metallic body of electric appliances.

9. An electric heater of 2kW power rating is operated in a domestic electric circuit (220V) that
has a current rating of 5A. What result do you expect in this case? What modification should
be made to avoid this?

Ans) Power (P)= 2kW

= 2000W
Potential Difference (V)= 220V
Current drawn by heater (I)= P/V
=2000/220
=100/11
=9.09A

Since the current flowing through the heater is much more than the maximum current rating of 5A,
overloading takes place. Due to this, the fuse wire melts and breaks the circuit.
To avoid this, the 5A fuse should be replaced by a fuse wire of current rating 10A.

IMPORTANT APPLICATION QUESTIONS (INDIRECT)

1. An electron enters a magnetic field at right angles to it as shown in the figure:

Diagram

The direction of force acting on the electron will be:

a) To the right
b) To the left
c) Out of the page
 d) Into the page

Ans) d) Into the page.

Direction of current is taken as opposite to the direction of flow of electrons. By applying
Fleming’s Left Hand Rule, the direction of force is found to be into the page.

2. A positively charged particle (α -particle) projected towards west is deflected towards north
by a magnetic field. The direction of magnetic field is:
a) Towards south
b) Towards east
c) Downwards
d) Upwards (Diagram to be added)

Ans) It is given that direction of current is towards west and direction of motion/force is to the
north. By applying Fleming’s Left Hand Rule, the magnetic field is directed upwards.

3. A current through a horizontal power line flows in east-west direction. What is the
direction of magnetic field at a point directly below it and at a point directly above it?

Ans) The current is in the east-west direction. Applying the right hand thumb rule, we find that
the direction of magnetic field at a point below the wire is from ‘north-south’. The direction
of magnetic field at a point above the wire is from ‘south-north’.

OR

By applying the right hand thumb rule, we get that the magnetic field turns clockwise in a plane,
perpendicular to the wire, when viewed from the east end. The magnetic field turns anti-clockwise,
when viewed from the west end.

4. Imagine that you are sitting in a chamber with your back to one wall. An electron beam, moving
horizontally from back wall towards the front wall, is deflected by a strong magnetic field to
your right side. What is the direction of magnetic field? Explain your answer indicating the rule
used here.

Ans) Since electron beam moves from back to front wall, the direction of the current is from front
wall to back wall. The direction of motion/force of the conductor is towards right by applying
Fleming’s Left Hand Rule. We find that the magnetic field is directed vertically downwards.

5. Which of the following property of a proton can change while it moves freely in a magnetic
field?
a) Mass
b) Speed
c) Velocity
d) Momentum
Ans) When a charged particle moves in a magnetic field, it experiences a force due to which the
velocity and the momentum of the particle can change.

6. You are given a current carrying rod which is placed in a magnetic field. How do you think the
displacement of the rod will be affected if:
a) The current in the rod is doubled.
b) The length of the rod is halved.
c) A stronger horseshoe magnet is used.
Ans) We have, F=BIL
a) If the current is doubled, the force experienced by the conductor and hence its displacement
gets doubled. (Fα I)
b) When the length of the rod is halved, displacement will also get halved. (Fαl ¿
c) If a stronger horseshoe magnet is used, then displacement of the rod will be increased. (F
α B¿