How Do Solar Winds Affect Earth's Magnetic Field?

[kring_c14]

steams of charge particles emitted from the sun during periods of solar activity creates a disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field. How does this happen?

also, the text in our book discussed the magnetic field of an infinitely long, straight conductor carrying a current. Of course there is no such thing as infinitely long anything. How do you decide whether a particular wire is long enough to be considered infinite?


I really don't know how the answer these questions..pls help...lotsa thanks!

 

[jandl]

Think of the definition of a current. A current causes a magnetic field, can you imagine how this might interact with the Earth's field.

Objects are considered infinite when the length is so much greater than the lengths in question that it is insignificant what is happening far away. For example, a wire that is 100 miles long looks infinite to an ant. Actually the wire probably won't even need to be that long to appear infinite to the ant.

 

[Moetasim]

I can provide an explanation for the phenomenon of magnetic field particles and how they affect the Earth's magnetic field. Magnetic field particles, also known as solar wind, are streams of charged particles (mostly protons and electrons) emitted from the sun during periods of solar activity such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections. These particles carry energy and interact with the Earth's magnetic field, causing disturbances known as geomagnetic storms.

When these charged particles enter the Earth's magnetic field, they are deflected by the field lines and travel towards the poles. As they interact with the Earth's atmosphere, they create a colorful display known as the aurora borealis (northern lights) and aurora australis (southern lights). These geomagnetic storms can also interfere with satellite and radio communication systems, and in extreme cases, can even cause power outages.

Regarding the concept of an infinitely long, straight conductor carrying a current, it is true that there is no such thing as an infinitely long wire in reality. However, in theoretical models and calculations, we often assume a wire to be infinite in length for simplicity and to make calculations easier. In practical applications, the length of a wire is considered long enough to be considered infinite when its length is significantly larger than other dimensions of the system being studied. This is known as the "long wire approximation" and is commonly used in electromagnetism and circuit analysis.