MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT
Class – 10 (Notes)
Oersted Experiment
On passing the current through the copper wire XY in the circuit, the compass needle which is placed near
the conductor gets deflected. If we reverse the direction of current, the compass needle deflects in reverse
direction. If we stop the flow of
current, the needle comes at
rest. Hence, it concludes that
electricity and magnetism are
linked to each other. It shows
that whenever the current will
flow through the conductor, then
magnetic field around it will be
developed. Also, an electric
current carrying wire behaves like a magnet.
“The phenomenon of producing magnetic field around the conductor, when current passes
through the conductor is known as magnetic effect of electric current.”
Magnet
Magnet is an object that attracts objects made of iron, cobalt and nickel and the property of that substance
is called magnetism. Magnet comes to rest in North – South direction, when suspended freely.
Properties of Magnet
Every magnet consists of two poles, where its strength is
concentrated, known as North pole and South pole.
Like poles of magnets repel each other while unlike poles of
magnets attract each other.
If you break magnet in to two pieces, poles of magnets cannot be
separated, instead it will again form the pole missing at the broken
edge. Thus monopole (single pole) of magnet can never be exist.
A free suspended magnet always points towards the north and
south direction.
Magnetic Field
The space around a magnet in which the force of attraction and repulsion caused by the magnet can
be detected is called the magnetic field.
It is a vector quantity, having both direction & magnitude.
Magnetic field can be described with the help of a magnetic compass.
It is denoted by the symbol B and its SI unit is Tesla (T).
Magnetic field lines
When a bar magnet is placed on a card board and iron fillings are
sprinkled, they will arrange themselves in a pattern as shown.
The lines along which the iron filling align themselves represent magnetic
field lines.
The curved paths along which iron filings arrange themselves due to the
force acting on them in the magnetic field of a bar magnet are called
magnetic field lines. Hence, magnetic field line is a path along which a hypothetical free north pole tend
to move towards south pole.
Characteristics of Magnetic field lines
(1) The direction of magnetic field lines outside the magnet is always from north pole to south pole of bar
magnet and are indicated by an arrow. Inside the magnetic, the direction of field lines is from its south pole
to north pole.
(2) A magnetic field line is a closed and continuous curve.
(3) The strength of magnetic field is expressed by the closeness of magnetic field lines. Closer the lines,
more will be the strength and farther the lines, less will be the magnetic field strength.
(4) No two field lines will intersect each other. If they intersect, then at point
of intersection the compass needle will show two direction of magnetic field
which is not possible.
(5) Parallel and equidistant field lines represent a uniform magnetic field.
Magnetic field around a straight current carrying conductor
When current is passed through a straight current-carrying conductor, a magnetic field is produced
around it.
The field lines are in the form of concentric circles at
every point of the current-carrying conductor. The structure
of magnetic field lines will resemble to structure of ripples
produced in silent pond of water and stone is thrown in to it.
Magnetic field produced around the conductor was
found to be depend upon three factors which are,
1. Amount of current flowing through conductor.
2. Distance of magnetic material from conductor.
3. Direction of current in conductor.
Right hand thumb rule
The direction of magnetic field lines produced around the current carrying conductor is given by Right
hand thumb rule.
This rule states that ‘If a current-carrying conductor is held by the right hand, keeping the thumb straight
and if the direction of electric current is in the direction of thumb, then the direction of wrapping of other
fingers will show the direction of the magnetic field.’
The direction of magnetic lines reverses as we reverse the direction of the current.
(i) When current flows upward, the direction of magnetic lines is anticlockwise.
(ii) When current flows downward, the direction of magnetic lines is clockwise.
Magnetic Field due to a Current-carrying Circular Coil
Bend a straight wire to form a circular loop and pass a current
through it. Every point on the wire carrying current gives rise to a
magnetic field around it.
The pattern of magnetic field lines around a current carrying loop are
concentric circles and become larger and larger as we move away from
the wire and by the time we reach the center of the circular loop, the arcs of these circles would appear
as a straight line.
The magnetic field lines near the coil are nearly circular or concentric.
The magnetic field at the centre of the coil is maximum and almost uniform.
The direction of magnetic field lines around a current carrying
loop is given by Right Hand Thumb Rule.
Looking at the face of a coil, if the current around it is in the
clockwise direction, then it faces the South Pole. If the current
around it is in the anticlockwise direction, then it faces the North
Pole. This is called the Clock rule.
The strength of the magnetic field at the center of the loop
(coil) depends on:
1. The radius of the coil: The strength of the magnetic field is
inversely proportional to the radius of the coil. If the radius
increases, the magnetic strength at the center decreases
2. The number of turns in the coil: As the number of turns in the coil increase, the magnetic strength
at the center increases, because the current in each circular turn is having the same direction, thus, the
field due to each turn adds up.
If there are ‘n’ turns of the coil, the magnitude of the magnetic field will be ‘n’ times the magnetic field in
case of a single turn of the coil.
3. The strength of the current flowing in the coil: As the strength of the current increases, the
strength of three magnetic fields also increases.
Magnetic field produced due to solenoid
A coil of many circular turns of insulated copper wire wrapped closely in the
shape of a cylinder is called a solenoid.
When current is passed through the solenoid magnetic field is produced
around it.
A current-carrying solenoid produces a similar pattern of the magnetic field
as a bar magnet. One end of the solenoid behaves as the North Pole and another end behaves as the
South Pole.
The direction of magnetic field can be demonstrated using right hand thumb rule. Magnetic lines of
forces around solenoid are shown in figure.
Magnetic field lines are parallel inside the solenoid, similar to a bar magnet, which shows that
magnetic field is same at all points inside the solenoid.
Direction
of magnetic field
Outside the solenoid:
North to South
Inside the solenoid:
South to North
The magnitude
of the magnetic
field inside the solenoid is directly proportional to the
1. Current flowing through it
2. Number of turns per unit length of the solenoid
By producing a strong magnetic field inside the solenoid, magnetic materials can be magnetized.
Magnet formed by producing magnetic field inside a solenoid is called electromagnet.
Electromagnet, device consisting of a core of magnetic material surrounded by a coil through which an
electric current is passed to magnetize the core. It is a temporary magnet.
Force on a Current-carrying Conductor in a Magnetic Field
A current-carrying conductor when placed in a magnetic field experiences a force.
The direction of force acting on a current carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field can be found
according to the following rule:
Fleming’s Left Hand Rule
According to this rule, stretch the thumb, fore finger and
middle finger of left hand such that they are mutually
perpendicular. If the fore finger points in the direction of
magnetic field and middle finger in the direction of
current then the thumb will point in the direction of
motion or force.
Factors affecting force on a current carrying
conductor placed in a magnetic field:
1. Amount of current
2. Magnitude of magnetic field
3. Length of the conductor
4. Angle between current carrying
conductor and magnetic field
➢ The force is maximum when current
carrying conductor is placed perpendicular
to the magnetic field and no force is exerted
when it is placed parallel to the magnetic
field.
The direction of the force gets reversed
when the direction of the current is reversed
or when the direction of the magnetic field is reversed.
The force acting on a conductor is found to be maximum when the current and magnetic field are at
right angles to each other.
When the conductor is placed parallel to the magnetic field, no force acts on it.
Galvanometer- It is an instrument that can detect the presence of a current in a circuit. If pointer is at zero
(the centre of scale) the there will be no flow of current.
If the pointer deflect on either side right or left, this will show the direction of current. Represented by
Electro Magnetic Induction
Michael Faraday– Gave the law of Electro magnetic Induction.
As we know that, electric current in conductor can produce magnetic field around the conductor, this effect
is known as magnetic effect of electric current. Sir Michael Faraday discovered that changing magnetic
field around conductor can induces current in conductor and the effect is known as electromagnetic
induction.
The phenomenon of generating an electric current in a circuit (coil) by changing the magnetic flux linked
with it is called electromagnetic induction.
The change in magnetic flux in a coil may be due to the
o Relative motion between the coil and the magnet placed near it.
o Relative motion between the coil and a current-carrying conductor placed near it.
o Change of current in the conductor placed near the coil.
(a) FIRST EXPERIMENT- SELFINDUCTION
In this experiment, when the north pole of bar magnet is brought
closes to the coil or away from the coil, we see momentary
deflection in the needle of galvanometer on either side of null
point. First right and then left. Similarly, if we keep the magnet
stationary and coil is made to move towards or away from the
north pole of magnet. Again we will observe deflection in the
needle of galvanometer. If both bar magnet and coil kept
stationary, there will be no deflection in galvanometer. This
experiment can also be done with the south pole of magnet, we
will observe the deflection in galvanometer, but it would be in
opposite direction to the previous case.
It concludes that motion of magnet with respect to coil or vice-versa, changes the magnetic field. Due to
this change in magnetic field lines, potential difference is induced in the same coil, which set up an
induced current in the circuit.
(b) SECOND EXPERIMENT– Mutual Induction
In this experiment plug in the key that is connect coil with
battery and observe the deflection in galvanometer. Now plug
out the key that is disconnect the coil-1 from battery and
observe the deflection in galvanometer, which will be in reverse
direction. Hence, we conclude that potential difference is induced
in secondary coil (coil-2), whenever there is a change in current,
in primary coil (coil-1) (by on and off of key).
This is because, whenever there is change in current in primary coil → Magnetic field associated with it
also changes → Now, magnetic field lines around the secondary coil (coil-2) will change and induces the
electric current in it (observed by the deflection of needle of Galvanometer in secondary circuit) This
process, by which changing of strength of current in primary coil, induces a current in secondary coil is
called Electromagnetic Induction” The induced current is found to be highest when the direction of motion
of coil is at right angles to the magnetic field.
Fleming’s Right Hand Rule
Stretch thumb, forefinger and middle finger of right hand, so that
they are perpendicular to each other. The forefinger
indicates direction of magnetic field, thumb shows
the direction of motion of conductor, then the middle
finger will shows the direction of induced current.
Types of current
Differences between AC and DC
Advantages of Alternate Current (AC) over Direct Current (DC)
Electric power can be transmitted to longer distances without much loss of energy. Therefore cost of
transmission is low. In India the frequency of AC is 50Hz. It means after every 1/100 second it changes its
direction.
Domestic Electric Circuits
In our homes, we receive electric power through a main supply called the mains. We receive an AC
electric power of 220 V with a frequency of 50 Hz.
One of the wires in the electricity wiring of houses has a red insulation and is called the live wire. The
other, of black insulation is called the neutral wire. The third is the earth wire which has green insulation
and is connected to a metallic plate deep inside the Earth is called the earth wire.
The metallic body of the appliances is connected with the earth wire as a safety measure.
Function– Earth wire provide a low resistance to the current hence any leakage of current to the metallic
body of the appliances, keep its potential equal to that of earth. That means zero potential and the user is
saved from severe electric shock.
Short Circuiting – Due to fault in the appliances or damage in the insulation of two wires, the circuit will
offer zero or negligible resistance to the flow of current. Due to low resistance, large amount of current will
flow.
According to Joule’s law of heating effect (H α I 2) heat is produced in live wire and produces spark,
damaging the device and wiring.
Overloading– Overloading can be caused by
(1) Connecting too many appliances to a single socket or
(2) Accidental rise in supply voltage if the total current drawn by the appliances at a particular time
exceeds the bearing capacity of that wire, it will get heated up. This is known as overloading.
Fuse a safety device can prevent the circuit from overloading and short circuiting.
