A wire carries a current north. Above the wire the magnetic field is directed _________. Is it east?
You are looking at a coil carrying a current clockwise. The magnetic field at the center of the coil is directed _________. Is it right?
No to both questions. If I remember my right hand rule correctly, the answers are "counterclockwise" and "at you"
Thanks. I'm not good with the right hand rules and the websites I'm finding aren't really helping.
To determine the direction of the magnetic field in these scenarios, you can use the right-hand rule.
For the first question, if the wire is carrying a current north, you can imagine your right hand gripping the wire with your thumb pointing north. Using the right-hand rule, you will find that the magnetic field above the wire is directed east.
For the second question, when a coil carries a current clockwise, you can curl your fingers around the coil in the direction of the current flow. Your thumb will then point towards the magnetic field at the center of the coil. According to the right-hand rule, the magnetic field at the center of the coil will be directed to the right.
So, the magnetic field above the wire carrying a current north is directed east, and the magnetic field at the center of a coil carrying a current clockwise is directed to the right.