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CHAPTER- 12
MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT
CONTENT (reference: CBSE SyLLAA US - 20241
* Magnetic effects of current: Magnetic field, field lines
* field due to a current carrying conductor,
.1. field due to current carrying coil or solenoid;
t Force on current carrying conductor, Fleming's Left-Hand Rule,
.3. Direct current. Alternating current: frequency of AC.
* Advantage of AC over DC. Domestic electric circuits.
.i. Magnet: Magnet is an object that attracts objects made of iron, cobalt and nickel.
Magnet comes to rest in - South direction, when suspended freely.
* Properties of Magnet
a. A free suspended magnet always points towards the north and south direction.
b. The pole of a magnet which points toward north direction is called north pole or
north-seeking.
c. The pole of a magnet which points toward south direction is called south pole or
south seeking.
d. Like poles of magnets repel each other while unlike poles of magnets attract each
other.
.1. Use of Magnets:
a. ln refrigerators.
b. ln radio and stereo speakers.
c. ln audio and video cassette players.
d. ln children's toys.
.l Magnetic field: The area around a magnet where a magnetic force is
experienced is called the magnetic field. lt is a quantity that has both direction and
magnitude, (1e., Vector quantity).
* Magnetic field and field lines: The influence of force surrounding a magnet is
called magnetic field. ln the magnetic field, the force exerted by a magnet can be
detected using a compass or any other magnet.

DIRECTIONS OF MAGNETIC LINES

il
Two magnetic field lines never
intersect each other -The
direction of magnetic field at any
point is obtained by drawing a
tangent to the magnetic field line

8I.R ITAGI"FI
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at that point. lf. two magnetic field
lines intersect each other
magnetic field at intersect poirt
viill have two direclions which is
not possible
l\lagnetic fleld are closed curves -
It is taken by convention that the
i'='x.: : *::,-.: field llnes eme€as from north
pole and merge at the south pole.
inslde the magnet. the direction of
!.r!r tkF PCr:: Ai't?A:' u{ iols Amna: iield llnes is frcm its south pole to
ts ncrth pole Th!s. the magnetic
iield lines are closed cu,./es.
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.1. Direction of field line:
. Outside the magnet, the direction of magnetic field line is taken from North Pole to
South Pole.
. lnside the magnet, the direction of magnetic field line is taken from South Pole to
North Pole.

.! Strength of magnetic field: The closeness of field lines shows the relative
strength of magnetic field, r.e. closer lines show stronger magnetic field and vice -
versa. Crowded field lines near the poles of magnet show more strength.

* Magnetic field lines due to current a current carrying straight conductor

. A current carrying straight conductor has magnetic field in the form of concentric
circles, around it. Magnetic field of current carrying straight conductor can be
shown by magnetic field lines.

Current

-ri
Magretic Field

. The direction of magnetic field through a current carrying conductor depends upon.
the direction of flow electric current.
Note: Let a current carrying conductor be suspended vertically and the electric
current is flowing from south to north. ln this case, the direction of magnetic field
will be anticlockwise. lf the current is flowing from north to south, the direction of
magnetic field will be clockwise.
. The direction of magnetic field - ln relation to direction of electric current
through a straight conductor can be depicted by using the Right-Hand Thumb
Rule. lt is also known as Maxwell 's Corkscrew Rule.
. Maxwell's Corkscrew rule: As per Maxwell 's Corkscrew Rule, if the direction of
forward movement of screw shows the direction of the current, then the direction
of rotation of screw shows the direction of magnetic field.

Ma
Field
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Right-Hand Thumb Rule: lf a current carrying conductor is held by right hand,
keeping the thumb straight and if the direction of electric current is in the direction
of thumb, then the direction of wrapping of other fingers will show the direction of
magnetic field.
l_-- 13)

and
of mag netic field increase in electric current
.i. ProPe rties increases with
nitude of mag netic fie ld
The mag
decrease in electri c current' cu rrent decre ases with
decrease s with electric
tude of magn etic field
produced .bY
of concentri c circles of magnetic
The magnt rsa. The slze that magnetic
tn distance and vice - ve cond uctor, which shows
increase fro m the
ases with distance
field lines incre the magnet'
with distance' to each other inside
field decreases alwaYs parallel
I ines are
Mag netic freld ther.
s cross each o
No tw o field line
the cuwent is reversed
when the direction of
opposite
The dettectionin
the needtebecomes
t:

s
\
ti
I
:r s

s
H.
'l'l fietd around it' tf the
a magnetic
conductor P roduces would
through a metallic com pass needle
Th e electric curreot south Pole' the
no(h Pole of the
north Po le to the would result tn
rrent flows from nections in the circuit' this
con
rePlace the cell
CU
to north'
towards the east' lf we will the copper wire, that is from south
move current through the needle
chang e of the direction of the ne edle . You will
see that now
the of deflection of ot
in the dire ction t.l t means thatthe direction
Observe th e change the wes
dkedion' that is towards
moves in the opPosite also rev ersed.
lectric current is
field produced bY the e
magnetic IS
magnetic field.
carrying conductor: The carryt ng
ld in circular cu rrent e of a stra ight current
.i. Magnetic tie it is in cas
same manne r as
produced in the lines would be
the magnetic freld of the
conductor'
cu rrent carrying conductor' art of the Pe riph ery
ln case of a circular s around every P
n ear to the
of iron con centric circle to rematn close r when
in the form lin es tend of the looP.
Since, magn etic field er nea r the PertP hery
conductor'
magne tic field
wou ld be strong from each oth er when
conductor' so the field lines would be distant at the ce nter,
the
the m agnetic FinallY'
cu rrent carryln t
er hand, looP.
On the oth
towa rds the center of the ight line.
we move a ppear as a stra
circl es would
arcs of big
conductor
MagneticLines
ot Force

Paper

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. The direction of the magnetic field in loop
c Right Hand rhumb's g-ul9 L"i-;';..;;u'iiat conductor
clockwise direction in the loop. ttre current is movinq in anti-
tn.t 1".",' the magnetic field wou_ld
clockwise direction, at tne tqi oi "
f
"ilor"over, be in
in"?o"p'. ''" it woutd be in an anti_
clockwise direction at the bottom
ti f""pi
c crock Face Rure: A current carrying "f "toop'worts rike.
of this magnet can be easiry undr,r"ioJ;ifi'tnl a disc magnet. The porarity
current is flowing in anti trockwisu nurp of crock Face Rure. rf the
,-
North pore' on the other hand,
oir""iion,'it". ir," r"t" *1" ['"'p".r,o*,
if tn"
the face of the loop shows South pote.- - " '" "'
"rii""i'i.'howng
"i direction, then
rn crockwise
. Magnetic field and number. of turns
of coil: Al.aOnitu.gg of magnetic field gets
summed up with increase in the_ number
or iurns or coir. rf there are ,n,turns
magnitude of magnetic
yi! o" ;n;iir"J'oimagnetic of coir,
{9to
,he strensth or the mas;eil riuli the center field in case of a single
.TH:J:ll. ", or the roop(coit)
o The radius of the coir: The.strength of the
magnetic.fierd is inversery proportionar
coir. rr tneiaarus'ii;",X;:, the
::j[?J::[:J":the masnetic strength at the
o The number of turns in the coir: As the number
magnetic strength at the. centre in"ru"i"i"i"]"ause of turns in the coir increase, the
turn is having the same.direction, irrus,-tlliiJ;;;" the current in each circular
o The magnetic fietd produce:^?l to each turn adds uo.
magnitude of the current passing gy^;i.;r"i.S is direcfly proportionat to the
through it. "",f
.!. Magnetic field
due to a current in a Solenoid:
" :::"Jil'fl liJff"i #:t"-u'v-"i'"itlii-',,i" "r insurated copper wire wrapped
o A current carrying sorenoid produces simirar
pattern of magnetic fierd as
a bar
n o id be rr aves ;;
ih;. rvo rrr poie lno..
o
;:Xr;1:: :T""Sjd, r."", l:
Magnetic fierd rines are..para.rer inside "" "ii "i * o
which shows that maonetic riero is
the sorenoid, simirar to a bar magnet,
same rnsrde the sorenoid. p#[
' I:?"iffi:tilJJ,."T,:n'."'o i;J'J';;;#iJ#i",o
"i'rrr *re numoei Ji-iu,ns ano
o By producing a strong magnetic fierd
inside the sorenoid, magnetic
roimed bv ilJ;;i";';;netic nerd materiars can
5,#:f"'f:1#:ft i".io!, ."i"""i0 a
,tiofl ror
a.i:i Ci.:il sl iruuhies' co[ier Nite

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* Electromag
consists of a long coil of insulated
wrapped on :".:rfll;,:".magnet copper wire
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* Force on a current carrying conductor in a magnetic field: A current carrying
conductor exerts a force when a magnet is placed in its vicinity. Similarly, a
magnet also exerts equal and opposite force on the current carrying conductor.
This was suggested by lvlarie Ampere, a French Physicist and considered. as
founder of science of electromagnetism.
o The direction of force over the conductor gets reversed with the change in
direction of flow of electric current. lt is observed that the magnitude of force is
highest when the direction of current is at right angles to the magnetic field.

Fleming's Left-Hand Rule: lf the left hand is stretched in a way that the index
finger, the middle finger and the thumb are in mutually perpendicular directions,
then the index finger and middle finger of a stretched left hand show the direction
of magnetic field and direction of electric current respectively and the thumb
shows the direction of motion or force acting on the conductor.
Many devices, such as electric motor, electric generator, loudspeaker, etc. work
on Fleming's Left Hand Rule.
l'{ovemen( of
Conductor
fr'lotion

Magnetir Freld
Field
l i

Curen:
lnduceC lnduced
in londutior C{raaent

* A.C. & D.C. CURRENT

. A.C. Current - Alternate Current: Current in which direction is changed
periodically is called Alternate Current. ln lndia, most of the power stations
generate alternate current. The direction of current changes after every 1/100
second in lndia, i.e., the frequency of A.C in lndia is 50 Hz.
. D.C. - Direct Current: Current that flows in one direction only is called Direct
current. Electrochemical cells produce direct current.

. Advantages of A.C. over D.C.

o A.C is transmifted up to a long distance without much loss of energy is advantage
of A.C. over D.C.
o Cost of generator of A.C is much less than that of D.C.
o A.C can be easily converted to D.C.
o A.C can be controlled by the use of choke which involves less loss of power
whereas; D.C can be controlled using resistances which involves high energy
loss.
o AC machines are stout and durable and do not need much maintenance.
. Disadvantages of AC
o AC cannot be used for the electrolysis process or showing electromagnetism as it
reverses its polarity.
o AC is more dangerous than DC.
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t Domestic Electric Circuits: We receive electric supply through mains supported
through the poles or cables. ln our houses, we receive AC electric power of 220 V
with a frequency of 50 Hz. (The AC changes direction after every 1/100 second).
* The 3 wires in domestic circuits are as follows
o Live wire - (Red insulated, Positive)
o Neutral wire - (Black insulated, Negative)
o Earth wire - (Green insulated) for safety measure to ensure that any leakage of
current to a metallic body does not give any serious shock to a user.
I
Earch

Live _GG
l
Neutal
Electicity Electicity
board s luse metet
Dblribulion
8ov
main switch and
fo( eaeh circuil

. The potential difference (or voltage) which is supplied in lndia is 220V.

. The electric current in house is first passed through a circuit called a fuse (High
resistant and low melting point metaliore conductor wire). lf any high voltage,
overloading, voltage fluctuation or short circuit occurs, the fuse wire melts thereby
restricting the current supply and preventing the high voltage from reaching the
electric appliances.
. These wires are passed to different electric appliances of the house through the
meter board.
. Generally, 2 types of electric circuits are used for household use:
o 15A: Appliances that have higher power ratings. l-e. Geysers, ACs, Refrigerators.
o 5A: Appliances that have lower power ratings. r.e. Television, Fans, Bulbs.
* short circuit: short-circuiting is caused by the touching of live wires and neutral
wire and sudden a large current flow. lt happens due to
o Damage of insulation in power lines.
o A fault in an electrical appliance.
o overloading of an Electric circuit: The overheating of electrical wire in any circuit
due to the flow of a large current through it is called overloading of the electrical
circuit.
o A sudden large number of current flows through the wire, which causes
overheating of wire and may cause fire also.

* Electric Fuse: lt is a protective device used for protecting the circuit from short-
circuiting and overloading. lt is a piece of thin wire of material having a low melting
point and high resistance.
o Fuse is always connected to live wire.
o Fuse is always connected in series to the electric circuit.
o Fuse is always connected to the beginning of an electric circuit.
o Fuse works on the heating effect.