CH 13 MAGNETIC EFFECT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT

CHAPTER NOTES
Magnet
A substance which attracts small pieces of iron and points in the North-South direction when suspended
freely.
Types of magnets:
There are two types of magnets:
i) Natural magnets: The naturally occurring materials which have the property of attracting iron.
They have low magnetic power and thus form weak magnets. e.g., magnetite, lodestone.
ii) Artificial magnet: They are made of materials like iron, cobalt and nickel which can be easily
magnetized.
They have strong magnetic power and thus form strong magnets.
They can be made in different shapes and sizes.
Relationship between electricity and magnetism
The effect of the electric current passing through a wire due to which the needle of the magnetic compass
deflects is known as the magnetic effect of electric current.
Hans Christian Oersted (1777-1851) showed that electricity and magnetism are related to each other. His
research was later used in creating technologies like radio, T.V., fiber optics, etc.
The unit of magnetic field strength is named Oersted in his honour.
Oersted Experiment
In 1819, Hans Christian Oersted performed an experiment to show that a magnetic field is set up around a
current carrying conductor. 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 will deflect in reverse direction. If we stop the flow of current, the needle comes at rest.

Hence, we conclude that electricity and magnetism are linked to each other. It shows that whenever the
current will flow through the conductor, then a magnetic field will develop around it.
Compass needle
It is a small magnetic needle pivoted at the centre, whose north end is pointing towards north pole (painted
red) and south end is pointing towards south pole of earth.
Magnetic Field
It is the region surrounding a magnet, in which force of magnet can be detected. It is a vector quantity,
having both direction and magnitude.
The S.I. unit of magnetic field strength is Oersted.
Magnetic field lines
When a bar magnet is placed on a cardboard and iron fillings are sprinkled around it, they will arrange
themselves in a pattern as shown below.
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The lines along which the iron filling align themselves represent magnetic field lines.
Hence, magnetic field line is a path along which a hypothetical free North pole tends to move towards South
pole.
Characteristics of Magnetic field lines:
The direction of magnetic field lines outside the magnet is always from North pole to South pole of a bar
magnet and are indicated by an arrow.
Inside the magnetic field, the direction of field lines is from its South pole to North pole. Thus, magnetic
field lines are closed curves.
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.
In case the field lines are parallel and equidistant, these represent a uniform magnetic field.
No two magnetic field lines intersect each other because if they intersect, then at the point of intersection
the compass needle will show two directions of magnetic field which is not possible.

Right Hand Thumb Rule or Maxwell’s Corkscrew Rule

LIKE POLES REPEL

It is a convenient way of finding the direction of magnetic field associated with current carrying conductor.
Hold the straight wire carrying current in your right hand such that the thumb points towards the direction of
current, then your folded fingers around the conductor will show the direction of magnetic field.
Magnetic field due to a Current Carrying Conductor
In an electric circuit, when a copper wire is placed parallel to a compass needle, the needle shows deflection.
The deflection in needle gets reversed when the direction of current is reversed. Hence, electricity and
magnetism are related to each other.
Magnetic Field due to a straight current carrying conductor:

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It is in the form of concentric circles with the conductor at the centre. Magnetic field or magnetic induction
B, depends on following factors:
• B α I, where I is the amount of current flowing through the conductor, and • B α 1 / r, where r is the
distance of the compass from the conductor. Therefore, B α I / r
Magnetic Field due to a straight current carrying circular coil:

Field lines near the coil are circular and concentric.

At the centre of the coil, field lines are straight, parallel and can be taken to be uniform. Magnetic field is
maximum at the centre.
Direction of field lines can be obtained using Maxwell’s Right hand Thumb Rule. Factors affecting the
magnetic field, B:
• B α I, i.e. directly proportional to current flowing through coil.
• B α 1 / r, i.e. inversely proportional to radius of the coil.
• B α N, i.e. directly proportional to the total number of turns in coil (N).
Therefore, BαNI/r
Direction of the magnetic field can also be found using the clock rule
The polarity of any face can be known by the clock rule. According to the clock rule if the current round any
face of the coil flows in anticlockwise direction, it behaves like a North pole and if the current flows in the
clockwise direction, the face acts as a South pole.

Solenoid
A coil of many circular turns of insulated copper wire wrapped closely in the shape of a cylinder is called a
solenoid.
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Magnetic field due to a current in a solenoid

Using Right Hand Thumb Rule, we can draw the pattern of magnetic field lines around a current carrying
solenoid.
One end of the solenoid behaves as a magnetic North pole, while the other end behaves as the South Pole.
(follow the polarity rule)
Looking at the face of the coil, if current in the clockwise direction, then it’s the South Pole. If, current is in
the anti-clockwise direction, then it’s the North Pole

The field lines inside the solenoid are in form of parallel straight lines, that implies that magnetic field inside
the solenoid is same at all points i.e. field is uniform.
Factors affecting the magnetic field, B:
• B α I, i.e. directly proportional to the current through the solenoid,
• B α n, i.e. directly proportional to the number of turns per unit length of the solenoid, Where, n = N / l
Hence, BαnI
• Electromagnet
Strong magnetic field inside the solenoid can be used to magnetise a magnetic material for example soft
iron, when it is placed inside the coil. The magnet so formed is called an electromagnet.
The strength of an electromagnet depends on
• the number of turns per unit length of the solenoid, and
• the current through the solenoid
The polarity of the electromagnet is decided by the direction of current flowing in the solenoid. A U-shaped
electromagnet is called a horse-shoe magnet.
Uses of electromagnets
• An electromagnet does all the things that ordinary magnets can do, but you can switch them on and off.
• An electric bell uses an electromagnet to rapidly pull the hammer over to the gong then release it.
• For sorting scrap an electromagnet can be used to pick up and put down magnetic materials, sorting them
from non-magnetic scrap.
• In speakers an electromagnet can be used to move a cone very rapidly, causing sound waves.

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• In switches a small current can be used to operate an electromagnet, which in turn can control another
circuit in which a much larger current may be flowing. This isolates the large current from the person
operating the switch, making it safer.
• In motors, generators, MRI machines, scientific instruments, relays, hard disk, etc. Difference between
a bar-magnet or permanent magnet and an electromagnet

Force on a current carrying conductor in a magnetic field

Andre Marie Ampere (1775-1836) suggested that the magnet also exerts an equal and opposite force on
the current carrying conductor.
In the following activity, we observe that the rod gets displaced i.e., the rod experiences a force, when it is
placed in a magnetic field, in a perpendicular direction to its length.
The direction of the exerted force gets reversed if the direction of current through the conductor is reversed.

If we change the direction of field by inter changing the two poles of the magnet, again the direction of
exerted force changes.
Direction of the exerted force depends on
Direction of the exerted force depends on
• the direction of the current, and
the direction of the current, and
• the direction of the magnetic field lines.
The magnitude of the exerted force is
• Directly proportional to the (I) current flowing through the conductor, F α I
• Directly proportional to the (l) length of inside the magnetic field, F α L
• Directly proportional to the (B) magnitude of the magnetic field, F α B
Therefore, F α I l B,
Or F = B I l Sinθ
Hence, if the wire is placed parallel to B, i.e., θ = 0, Sin0 = 0, F = 0, no force acts.
If the wire is placed perpendicular to B, i.e., θ = 90, Sin90 = 1, F = B I l, maximum force acts.
Fleming’s Left Hand Rule (for finding the direction of force on the conductor)

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According to this rule, stretch the thumb, forefinger, and the middle finger of your left hand such that they
are mutually perpendicular to each other.

If the forefinger represents the direction of magnetic field & the middle finger represents the direction of
current, then the thumb will point in the direction of motion or force acting on the conductor.
Direct current
The current which has a constant magnitude and same direction is called direct current (D.C). The frequency
of the D.C is zero.
Sources of D.C are dry cell, dry cell battery, car battery and D.C generator, etc.
Alternating current
The current which changes in magnitude and direction at regular intervals of time is called alternating
current. The frequency of A.C is the number of cycles per second made by the current.
The frequency of the alternating current in India is 50Hz.
Sources of A.C are house generator and bicycle dynamo.
Advantages of A.C over D.C
• A.C can be transmitted over long distances without much loss of energy.
• A.C can be produced easily and cheaply than D.C.
• A.C voltage can be transformed to any desired value with help of a transformer.
• A.C can be converted into D.C when required.
Disadvantages of A.C. over D.C :
• A.C is more dangerous than D.C.
• A.C cannot be used for electroplating, electrotyping and other electrolytic processes.
• Domestic Electric Circuits
It is a well-known fact that the house connections to all the devices are made in parallel, each having
independent switch and fuse. Thus, whenever some fault occurs in the circuit of one particular device in one
room, devices in other rooms do not suffer.

Live wire (positive) – Red colour Neutral wire (negative)– black colour Earth wire – Green colour
Earthing
Connecting the metal case of electrical appliance to the earth by means of a metal wire is called earthing. If
the appliance is earthed, its body potential remains zero due to contact with the earth. No electric shock is
felt when such an appliance is operated.

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Short – circuiting : Usually there are two separate circuits in a house, the lighting circuit with a 5A fuse
and the power circuit with a 15A fuse. All electrical appliances like bulbs, fans and sockets, etc., are
connected in parallel across the live wire and neutral wire.
An electric current more than the tolerable value will overheat the wire and can cause a fire.
The current may exceed the limit due to two reasons, which are over-loading and short- circuiting.
Over-loading: if too many electrical appliances of high power rating are switched on at the same time, they
draw an extremely large current from the circuit. This is known as overloading the circuit.
Prevention: To avoid over-loading, a circuit is divided in different sections having its own fuse in series.
Also, simultaneous use of high powered appliances must be avoided.
Short-circuiting: The touching of the live wire and the neutral wire directly is known as short-circuiting.
When the two wires touch each other, the resistance of the circuit so formed is very, very small. Since the
resistance is too small, the current flowing through the wire is very large and heats the wires to a
dangerously high temperature and it may lead to a fire accident.
This occurs when
• the insulation of wires is damaged and
• there is a fault in the electric appliance.
Prevention: To avoid short-circuiting, good quality wires must be used. Wires used must be coated with
PVC.
Electric Fuse
It is a device which is used in series to limit the current in an electric circuit so that it easily melts due to
overheating when excessive current passes through it, and hence the circuit gets disconnected. It is made of
a wire of an alloy of lead (75%) and tin (25%), which melts at around 2000oC.
• A fuse is always connected with the live wire and not with the neutral wire.
• It is always connected in the beginning of the circuit.
• Fuses of various current capacities are available.
• A thicker fuse wire will always have higher current capacity.

QUESTION – ANSWERS
Page No: 224
1. Why does a compass needle get deflected when brought near a bar magnet?
The needle of a compass is a small magnet. That’s why when a compass needle is brought near a bar magnet, its
magnetic field lines interact with that of the bar magnet. Hence, a compass needle gets deflected.
Page No: 228
1. Draw magnetic field lines around a bar magnet.
Magnetic field lines of a bar magnet emerge from the north pole and terminate at the south pole. Inside the magnet, the
field lines emerge from the south pole and terminate at the north pole, as shown in the given figure.

2. List the properties of magnetic lines of force.

The properties of magnetic lines of force are as follows.
→ Magnetic field lines emerge from the north pole.
→ They merge at the south pole.
→ The direction of field lines inside the magnet is from the south pole to the north pole.
→ Magnetic lines do not intersect with each other.
3. Why don't two magnetic lines of force intersect each other?
The two magnetic field lines do not intersect each other because if they do it means at the point of intersect the
compass needle is showing two different directions which is not possible.
Page No: 229
1. 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 rule to find out the direction of the magnetic field inside and outside the loop.

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Inside the loop = Pierce inside the table
Outside the loop = Appear to emerge out from the table
For downward direction of current flowing in the circular loop, the direction of magnetic field lines will be as if they
are emerging from the table outside the loop and merging in the table inside the loop. Similarly, for upward direction
of current flowing in the circular loop, the direction of magnetic field lines will be as if they are emerging from the
table outside the loop and merging in the table inside the loop, as shown in the given figure.

2. The magnetic field in a given region is uniform. Draw a diagram to represent it. Answer

The magnetic field lines inside a current-carrying long straight solenoid are uniform.
Page No: 230
3. Choose the correct option.
The magnetic field inside a long straight solenoid-carrying current
(a) is zero (b) decreases as we move towards its end
(c) increases as we move towards its end (d) is the same at all points
► (d) is the same at all points
Page No: 231
1. Which of the following property of a proton can change while it moves freely in a magnetic field? (There may be
more than one correct answer.)
(a) mass (b) speed (c) velocity (d) momentum
► (c) velocity and (d) momentum
Page No: 232
2. In Activity 13.7 (page: 230), how do we think the displacement of rod AB will be affected if (i) current in rod AB is
increased: (ii) a stronger horse-shoe magnet is used: and (iii) length of the rod AB is increased?
The displacement of rod AB is increased due to magnetic force exerted on it, if :
(i) If the current in the rod is increased then rod will be deflected with greater force.
(ii) If a stronger horse-shoe magnet is used then also rod will be deflected with greater force due to the increase in
magnetic field.
(iii) If the length of the rod AB is increased.
3. A positively charged particle (alpha-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) downward (d) upward
► (d) upward
Page No: 233
1. State Fleming's left-hand rule.
Fleming's left hand rule states that if we arrange the thumb, the centre finger, and the forefinger of the left hand at
right angles to each other, then the thumb points towards the direction of the magnetic force, the centre finger gives
the direction of current, and the forefinger points in the direction of magnetic field.
Page No: 237
2. Name some sources of direct current.
Some sources of direct current are cell, DC generator, etc.

pg. 8
3. Which sources produce alternating current?
AC generators, power plants, etc., produce alternating current.
Page No: 238
1. Name two safety measures commonly used in electric circuits and appliances.
Two safety measures commonly used in electric circuits and appliances are
→ Electric Fuse: An electric fuse is connected in series it protects the circuit from overloading and prevents it from
short circuiting.
→ Proper earthing of all electric circuit in which any leakage of current in an electric appliance is transferred to the
ground and people using the appliance do not get the shock.
2. An electric oven of 2 kW is operated in a domestic electric circuit (220 V) that has a current rating of 5 A. What
result do you expect? Explain.
Current drawn by the electric oven can be obtained by the expression,
P = VI
Where,
Current = I
Power of the oven, P = 2 kW = 2000 W
Voltage supplied, V = 220 V
I = 2000/220 V = 9.09 A
Hence, the current drawn by the electric oven is 9.09 A, which exceeds the safe limit of the circuit. Fuse element of
the electric fuse will melt and break the circuit.
3. What precaution should be taken to avoid the overloading of domestic electric circuits?
The precautions that should be taken to avoid the overloading of domestic circuits are as follows:
→ Too many appliances should not be connected to a single socket.
→ Too many appliances should not be used at the same time.
→ Faulty appliances should not be connected in the circuit.
→ Fuse should be connected in the circuit.
Page No: 240
Exercise
1. Which of the following correctly describes the magnetic field near a long straight wire?
(a) The field consists of straight lines perpendicular to the wire
(b) The field consists of straight lines parallel to the wire
(c) The field consists of radial lines originating from the wire
(d) The field consists of concentric circles centred on the wire
► (d) The field consists of concentric circles centred on the wire
5. At the time of short circuit, the current in the circuit
(a) reduces substantially (b) does not change
(c) increases heavily (d) vary continuously
► (c) increases heavily
6. State whether the following statements are true or false.
(c) The field at the centre of a long circular coil carrying current will be parallel straight lines.► True
(d) A wire with a green insulation is usually the live wire of an electric supply.► False
Live wire has red insulation cover, whereas earth wire has green insulation colour in the domestic circuits.
7. List three sources of magnetic fields.
Three sources of magnetic fields are as follows:
→ Current-carrying conductors
→ Permanent magnets
→ Electromagnets
Page No: 241
8. How does a solenoid behave like a magnet? Can you determine the north and south poles of a current-carrying
solenoid with the help of a bar magnet? Explain.
A solenoid is a long coil of circular loops of insulated copper wire. Magnetic field lines are produced around the
solenoid when a current is allowed to flow through it. The magnetic field produced by it is similar to the magnetic
field of a bar magnet. The field lines produced in a current-carrying solenoid is shown in the following figure.

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In the above figure, when the north pole of a bar magnet is brought near the end connected to the negative terminal of
the battery, the solenoid repels the bar magnet. Since like poles repel each other, the end connected to the negative
terminal of the battery behaves as the north pole of the solenoid and the other end behaves as a south pole. Hence, one
end of the solenoid behaves as a north pole and the other end behaves as a south pole.
9. When is the force experienced by a current-carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field largest?
The force experienced by a current-currying conductor is the maximum when the direction of current is perpendicular
to the direction of the magnetic field.
10. 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?
The direction of the magnetic field is vertically downwards. The direction of current is from the front wall to the back
wall because negatively charged electrons are moving from back wall to the front wall. The direction of magnetic
force is rightward. Hence, using Fleming's left-hand rule, it can be concluded that the direction of magnetic field
inside the chamber is downward.
15. State the rule to determine the direction of a (i) magnetic field produced around a straight conductor-carrying
current, (ii) force experienced by a current-carrying straight conductor placed in a magnetic field which is
perpendicular to it.
(i) Maxwell's right hand thumb rule
(ii) Fleming's left-hand rule
17. When does an electric short circuit occur?
If the insulation of the wires used in the circuit is damaged or the appliance used is faulty due to which the live wire
and the neutral wire comes in direct contact as a result current in the circuit rises and the short circuit occurs.
18. What is the function of an earth wire? Why is it necessary to earth metallic appliances?
The metallic body of electric appliances is connected to the earth by means of earth wire so that any leakage of electric
current is transferred to the ground. This prevents any electric shock to the user. That is why earthing of the electrical
appliances is necessary.

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