Question

A particle with some charge is happily moving through some region of space without any change of direction. Can one say that the magnetic field in that region μst be zero? Explain your answer. (Note: Ignore the magnetic field of the moving charge! This is a question about detecting magnetic fields.)

a) Yes, because moving charges create magnetic fields.

b) No, because the charge is happily moving.

Answer 1

No, one cannot say that the magnetic field in that region must be zero just because a charged particle is happily moving through it. Moving charges create magnetic fields, so the presence of a moving charged particle does indicate the existence of a magnetic field. However, the magnetic field may not be zero even if the particle is happily moving without any change of direction.

Step-by-step explanation:

No, one cannot say that the magnetic field in that region must be zero just because a charged particle is happily moving through it. Moving charges create magnetic fields, so the presence of a moving charged particle does indicate the existence of a magnetic field. However, the magnetic field may not be zero even if the particle is happily moving without any change of direction. The magnetic field could have a constant value in that region, or it could be zero, depending on other factors like the presence of other charges or currents in the vicinity.