Right Hand Rule and Magnetic Field

[Soaring Crane]

Homework Statement

A straight, vertical wire carries a current of 1.23 A downward in a region between the poles of a large superconducting electromagnet, where the magnetic field has a magnitude of 0.556 T and is horizontal.

a. What is the direction of the magnetic force on a section of the wire with a length of 1.00 cm that is in this uniform magnetic field, if the magnetic field direction is east?

south
north
west
east



b. What is the direction of the magnetic force on a section of the wire with a length of 1.00 cm that is in this uniform magnetic field, if the magnetic field direction is south?

south
north
west
east

Homework Equations

See below.

The Attempt at a Solution

For these two questions, I don’t know if I used the right hand rule properly.

For when B is to the east and v is downward, will the force be to the south when curling the fingers in the direction of B from v?

For when B is to the south and v is downward, will the force be to the west when curling the fingers in the direction of B from v?

Thanks.

 

[robb_]

sounds right.

 

[Edgardo]

Hello Soaring Crane,

the right hand rule is for a positive charge in a magnetic field.
When having electrons, what does change?

See also here:
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/magnetic/magfor.html#c3

The question is whether v points upwards or downwards in your problem
with respect to the information "A straight, vertical wire carries a current of 1.23 A downward "

 

[robb_]

I took current to mean conventional current, i.e. positive charge carriers.

 

[Edgardo]

Yes, that's what I meant. The conventional current points contrary to the electron's motion:
http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph11e/mfwire.htm

 

[Soaring Crane]

I thought v pointed downward out of the plane with the standard idea of positive charges in the problem?