Why Didn't the Disk Rotate in Maxwell's Magnetic Field Experiment?

[simplicity12]

Homework Statement

James Clerk Maxwell used an equipment to confirm the nature of the magnetic field around a long, straight conductor. he found that no matter how large the current through the wire, the disk did not rotate at all.

a. explain how this device can be used to determine the nature of the magnetic field around a conductor with a steady current.

Homework Equations

none

The Attempt at a Solution

By using the right hand rule.. the magnetic field is going to be horizontal and going in a counterclockwise direction... so why wouldn't the disk spin?

 

[Mindscrape]

So, you are supposed to talk about Maxwell's version of Ampere's law? Sorry, I don't really understand the problem. I think your picture is showing a current going through a wire, and a magnetic disk on the outside. You are supposed to talk about what happens outside the wire?

 

[m2003]

The device used by James Clerk Maxwell is known as a galvanometer, which is an instrument used to detect and measure small electric currents. In this case, the galvanometer was used to measure the magnetic field around a conductor with a steady current.

When a current flows through a conductor, it creates a magnetic field around it. The direction of this magnetic field can be determined using the right hand rule, as you mentioned. The direction of the magnetic field is perpendicular to the direction of the current flow and forms concentric circles around the conductor.

In Maxwell's experiment, the galvanometer was placed near the conductor and the disk was allowed to rotate freely. If the magnetic field around the conductor was strong enough, it would interact with the magnetic field of the galvanometer and cause the disk to rotate. However, Maxwell found that no matter how large the current through the wire was, the disk did not rotate at all. This indicates that the magnetic field around the conductor is relatively weak and does not have a significant effect on the galvanometer.

This experiment confirms that the magnetic field around a conductor with a steady current is relatively weak and does not have a strong effect on nearby objects. This is in line with the mathematical equations developed by Maxwell, known as Maxwell's equations, which describe the behavior of electric and magnetic fields. This experiment further supports the theory of electromagnetic fields and their relationship to electric currents.