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ritwik06
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Homework Statement
There is a straight current carrying wire. A magnetic field is produced round the wire. Will north pole and south pole be developed?
Dick said:Where would they be? All magnetic flux lines are closed. What do N and S poles really mean? Questions to ponder.
Dick said:You talk about poles where the magnetic field has the form of a dipole, like a solenoid or a bar magnet (like the Earth's magnetic field). If you put a compass on the Earth it points towards one pole and away from the other. I get your point about cutting along diameters, but if you follow a compass located near the wire, it will just lead you in circles around the wire, not to any definite region. That's my interpretation anyway.
The polarity of a wire refers to the direction of the magnetic field produced by electric current flowing through the wire. It is important because it determines how the wire will interact with other magnetic fields and objects.
The polarity of a wire can be determined using a compass. If the north pole of the compass needle is attracted to the wire, the wire is oriented in a north-to-south direction, indicating that the current flowing through the wire is moving from south to north.
Yes, the polarity of a wire can be reversed by changing the direction of the electric current flowing through it. This can be achieved by switching the positive and negative terminals of a battery or by changing the direction of the alternating current in an AC circuit.
The strength of a wire's magnetic field is directly affected by its polarity. When the current flowing through the wire is reversed, the strength of the magnetic field will also be reversed. Additionally, the closer the wire is to an object, the stronger the magnetic field will be.
Yes, two wires with opposite polarities can attract or repel each other depending on their orientation. If the north pole of one wire is facing the south pole of the other wire, they will attract each other. However, if the north pole of one wire is facing the north pole of the other wire, they will repel each other.