Question

A wire carries a current directly away from you.Which way

do the magnetic field lines produced by this wire point?
(a) They point parallel to the wire in the direction of the
current.
(b) They point parallel to the wire opposite the direction
of the current.
(c) They point toward the wire.
(d) They point away from the wire.
(e) They make circles around the wire.

Answer 1

The magnetic field lines produced by a wire carrying a current directly away from you form concentric circles around the wire as determined by the right-hand rule.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a wire carries a current directly away from you, the magnetic field lines produced by this wire make circles around the wire. This can be determined by using the right-hand rule. Imagine holding the wire in your right hand with your thumb pointing in the direction of the current, which in this case is away from you. Your fingers then curl around the wire in the direction of the magnetic field, forming concentric circles around the wire. This magnetic field has no component toward or away from the wire but is tangent to these circles. Therefore, the correct answer is that the magnetic field lines make circles around the wire.