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Physics Magnetism Question?

We have been recently taught how to find the magnetic lines of forces in a straight current carrying conductor using maxwell's right hand grip rule or corkscrew rule. But where does the north pole lie in such a case when the lines are circular?

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  • 10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    That's a very good question. As it happens, there is no point anywhere that is an isolated "north pole". Unlike electric field lines, which can emerge from a point charge and terminate at another point charge, magnetic field lines are always closed loops.

    Cut a bar magnet in half and you don't end up with just a north pole on one piece and a south pole on the other. You get two (weaker) N-S pairs (or "dipoles").

    There does not appear to be any kind of isolated magnetic charge that could be an endpoint for a B-field line. (or "monopoles")

    That doesn't deter science fiction writers from devising interstellar spaceships that use "magnetic monopoles" to collect fuel or contain antimatter. :^)

    There are some nice images (and explanations) at:

    http://www.coolmagnetman.com/maghow.htm

  • 10 years ago

    Hello soham shanbhag, can you give me the starting point on a closed circular path? Where you mention the end, there lies the starting point. Am I correct? So innumerable starting points. Same way where you choose a point to be north pole then the neighbour will be the south pole. Lines start from north and end at south as south is so close to north that you have chosen. Hope you have got it. So each point will be a north pole having opponent south next to it.

  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    Stay at one end of the conductor. If the direction of current is in the clockwise direction then, that is the North pole. If the direction of current is in the anticlockwise direction then, that is the South pole.

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    you may desire to benefit the "good Hand Rule of present day flow". This rule says that in case you carry some cord in such a fashion that your thumb directs the magnetic field, then your curled hands will point out the process present day flow. So as a effect, present day will flow in the direction of a million or greater area...

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