Question

Two wires are 10cm apart. One wire has a current of 3A to the right. What is the direction of the magnetic field at a point between the wires?

1) Upwards
2) Downwards
3) To the left
4) To the right

Answer 1

Using the right-hand rule, at a point between two wires with a current of 3A flowing to the right, the direction of the magnetic field is downwards.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the direction of the magnetic field at a point between two wires with electric currents, you can use the right-hand rule. For a wire with a current flowing to the right, if you point your thumb in the direction of the current (to the right), your fingers will curl in the direction of the magnetic field. Since the question specifies that the current is flowing to the right, if you place your right hand with your thumb pointing to the right, the magnetic field will curl around the wire. Therefore, at a point directly between the two wires, the direction of the magnetic field would be into the page (perpendicular to the plane of the two wires). However, if there is only one wire with a 3A current to the right and you are looking for the direction of the magnetic field strictly between the wires (in the horizontal plane), your fingers will point downwards. Hence, the direction of the magnetic field at a point between the wires would be downwards.