MAGNETIC EFFECT OF CURRENT:

• This is a phenomenon whereby a

magnetic field is produced due to a
current carrying wire.
• NOTE: The direction of the magnetic field
at any given point is the direction towards
which the N-pole of a compass needle
will point when placed at that given point.
From Oersted’s experimental observations it
follows that:
 The direction of the magnetic field at any
given position relative to a current
carrying wire gets reversed on reversing
the direction of current-flow through the
wire.
 On opposite sides of any straight current
carrying wire, the directions of the
magnetic field are mutually
opposite(while the direction of current
flow along the wire is fixed).
 RIGHT HAND THUMB RULE:
⃗
𝐵

⃗
𝐵
Directed perp
into the plane⃗
𝐵
of the paper.

Direction of current-
flow

According to the above rule, if we point our right thumb

along the direction of current flow along a wire and curl
our right palm around it, the orientation of the curled-
up right palm will indicate the orientation of the
magnetic lines of force surrounding the wire.
Hence on imagining the orientation of a tangent drawn
at any given point along such a line of force, gives us the
direction of the magnetic field at that point.
In the figure alongside, as the
current penetrates into the
plane of the card-board
sheet, magnetic lines of force
are oriented clock-wise N
around the wire.
(These lines of force can be ⃗
𝐵𝐻
obtained by construction W
using a compass needle or by E
Neutral
sprinkling iron-filings on the point
card-board sheet and S
thereafter gently tapping the ⃗
𝐵𝑤𝑖𝑟𝑒
sheet.)
A neutral point is obtained
on the eastern side of the (horizontally placed)
sheet since the horizontal
component of the earth’s
magnetic field(
NOTE: The lines of force are closer to one another
to north, is directed
nearer the wire and further apart at points farther
opposite to the field due to
away from the wire. This is due to the field being
the wire(as shown).
stronger at points closer to the wire than at points
farther away from the same.
The figure alongside shows that the
direction of the magnetic field at the
centre of the circular current loop
points normally into the plane of the
loop as seen from above the plane of
the paper.
Hence lines of force are found to
make an inward entry through the
front surface of the coil and an
outward exit through its rear surface
of the current loop.
Thus a current loop behaves like a
magnetic dipole in which the two
surfaces of the loop behave as two
magnetic poles; the one through
which lines of force enter is the S-pole
while the other one through which
the lines of force emerge is the N-
pole.
CLOCK-RULE: This is an aid to memory according to which the surface of a current loop along
which current appears to flow clock-wise, behaves as a magnetic South pole while the
surface along which the current appears to flow anti-clock-wise, behaves like a N-pole.
 ⃗
𝐵 ⃗
𝐵
I I
⃗
𝐵 ⃗
𝐵
I I
⃗
𝐵
⃗
𝐵
In the above figure, the In the above figure, the magnetic
magnetic field at all points field at all points along the vertical
along the vertical axis of the axis of the circular current loop,
circular current loop, points points downwards.
upwards. Hence the lower surface of the loop
Hence the lower surface of acts as a N-pole while the upper
the loop acts as a S-pole surface as S-pole.
while the upper surface as
N-pole.
 ELECTROMAGNETS: An electromagnet is a temporary magnet formed by allowing current to flow along
a solenoid wound around a ferromagnetic core(e.g. soft iron, ferrite).
[Solenoid is a wire wound in the form of a helix whose axial length is much greater than its diameter.]
A current carrying solenoid even in the absence of a material core will act as a temporary bar magnet;
the end of the solenoid along which the current appears to flow anti-clockwise, acts as a N-pole while
the other end along which the current appears to flow clockwise, behaves like a S-pole.
NOTE: The magnetic properties last only as long as the current flows through the solenoid.

The magnetic field along the axis of the solenoid can be increased by:
i) Increasing the current through the solenoid
ii) Increasing the number of turns per unit length of the solenoid
iii) Inserting a ferromagnetic material of high permeability(e.g. soft iron) within its core.
Increasing the strength of the magnetic field along the axis of a current carrying solenoid
enables a ferro-magnetic core present within the solenoid to get more strongly magnetized.
NOTE: Steel in contrast to soft iron
has a low permeability but high
retentivity and therefore gets weakly
magnetized but is difficult to
demagnetize even after switching off
the current through the solenoid.
Soft iron gets strongly magnetized and
gets easily demagnetized on switching
off the current through the solenoid.
Hence steel is used to make
permanent magnets while soft iron is
used to make electromagnets (which
need to get strongly magnetized and
promptly demagnetized as well).

ADVANTAGES OF ELECTROMAGNETS OVER PERMANENT MAGNETS:

i) Magnetic strength of electromagnets can be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the
current through the solenoid wound around them. A permanent magnet’s magnetic strength can’t
be altered.
ii) An electromagnet can easily be demagnetized by switching off the current through the solenoid
wound around it.(Permanent magnets can’t be demagnetized so easily).
iii) Magnetic polarities of an electromagnet can be reversed by reversing the direction of current
through the solenoid wound around it. (Polarities of a permanent magnet can’t be reversed)
HORSE-SHOE SHAPED
ELECTROMAGNET: used in motors,
generators and electric bells.
As the current flows along the
windings starting from the front side
of the arm P, on reaching the upper
end of the core, the current flows
along the windings starting from
behind the core.

USES OF ELECTROMAGNETS: READ FROM THE TEXT

WRONG DIAGRAM
ELECTRIC BELL: An electric bell works on the principle of alternate make and break of electric
circuit, leading to alternate magnetization and demagnetization of an electromagnet.
Electrical energy is converted to magnetic energy which is converted to mechanical(kinetic)
and finally to sound energy.

(soft iron)
(soft iron)
(Copper)
WORKING:

the gong
^

, thus
NIRS

polarities.
NIRS

Q F=0 R

⃗
S

𝑩
AXI

N i PQ
S
ARMATURE
orientations

F=0 F=0
P S
𝑩𝟏 𝑩𝟐
𝑺𝟏 𝑺𝟐
s
Split rings

Brushes
F PQ (in case of a single turn of the
coil)
N

b = breadth of the coil = perp separation between forces &

each turn of the

each turn of

^
 R

Q brief
S
𝑺𝟐
𝑩𝟏 𝑩𝟐

𝑺𝟏 P

After 90

R Q
F𝑄𝑃
⃗
𝑩
F 𝑆𝑅
S 𝑩 𝟏𝑺𝟐 𝑺𝟏𝑩𝟐 P
(i.e. to maintain uni-directional rotation of the armature coil.)

an electric circuit
Approach of
the N-pole

Recession of
the N-pole

• On increasing the speed of approach or recession of

the bar magnet towards /away from the solenoid, the
amount of deflection in the galvanometer’s needle
would increase proportionately.
Hence, electromagnetic induction is the phenomenon whereby an emf is induced across a conducting loop(owing to
which a current flows through the same) when the magnetic flux linked to the loop keeps changing.
 case nearer
N

Note: If both the bar magnet and the solenoid were to be moved along the same direction
with the same speed, there would be no relative motion between the two and hence no
change in flux linkage. Hence there would be no deflection in the galvanometer.
An A.C. generator is a ARMATURE
device which converts
mechanical(kinetic)

.
TN
energy into electrical

RO
energy by rotating a

OF
IS
rectangular coil

AX
through a uniform
magnetic field.
SLIP-RINGS
Y X : BRUSHES

Hence the current flows from X to Y through

⃗𝐯 the load.

⃗𝐯

(i.e. from Y to X through the

load.)

Y LOAD
X
 Alternating current

right
in course of

load
 & HENCE INCREASE THE CURRENT THROUGH THE ARMATURE:

pieces
each turn of the

energy

known as SLIP-RINGS.

pieces pieces

iv) Circuit gets broken after every ½ a rotation of the coil iv) Circuit does not get broken at all in course of one rotation
ADVANTAGES OF A.C. OVER D.C. :
i) The efficiency of an a.c. generator is higher than that of a d.c. generator
ii) alternating voltage can be raised or lowered as per requirement by the use of a step-up
or step-down transformer respectively
iii) alternating voltage can easily be converted into direct voltage (by using a circuit known
as a rectifier); direct voltage can’t be converted to alternating voltage.
iv) Alternating current can be transmitted over long distances by stepping up the
voltage(which thereby lowers the current in order to reduce power loss along the
transmitting wires owing to heating).