Question about magnetic fields in coiled conductors...

[Byrne]

Okay, say I have a coiled conductor below where the direction of the magnetic field is indicated in the North direction.

 

+()()()()()- ---> N

 

If I were to place a compass in the following position, what would happen?

 

(a)

 

COMPASS +()()()()()-

 

(b)

 

+()()()()()- COMPASS

 

Okay, so given that the north end of a compass is repelled by the north pole of any magnet creating the field, are my answers correct:

 

(a) COMPASS needle will point ---> as it is attracted by the southern magnetic flow created by the coiled conductor.

 

(b) COMPASS needle will point ---> as it is repelled by the northern magnetic flow created by the coiled conductor.

[insane_alien]

the north needle of a compass is acually ATTRACTED to the north pole of the magnetic field. the needle is a small magnet and the side we call north is actually a south pole.

 

It is called the north needle because it is the side that always points towards(attracted to) north.

 

its a common mistake that people make.

[Byrne]

Well, if what you say is true, then my answers to (a) and (b) should be reversed. We performed this in class a few months ago, and I'm almost certain that these were the correct results. I was always under the impression that what we refer to as the "North" pole is in actuality a south magnetic pole, so that is why the compass points towards the north when the compass is aligned in that direction.

[Rocket Man]

get ready to throw your compasses out in the next few thousand years, the poles are getting ready for a reversal, last measurement i heard of was that magnetic north was somewhere in the sahara and is drifting lazily all over the place

 

magnetite in mountains keeps fairly accurate records of it's polarity from when it was last molten, there's been several reversals in geological history.

 

as for coiled conductors, the direction the coils are in is all important.

[Spyman]

get ready to throw your compasses out in the next few thousand years, the poles are getting ready for a reversal, last measurement i heard of was that magnetic north was somewhere in the sahara and is drifting lazily all over the place

LOL According to my compass the magnetic north is still in the direction it always has been and not drifting much at all.

[Klaynos]

insane_alien is quite correct on these matters.

 

LOL According to my compass the magnetic north is still in the direction it always has been and not drifting much at all.

 

Your experimental error is just far too large

[Spyman]

LOL According to my compass the magnetic north is still in the direction it always has been and not drifting much at all.

Your experimental error is just far too large

Well, if Mr.North decides to take some time off and goes to Sahara where he is "lazily drifting all over the place", and maybe even visits the pyramids, I would like to think that my compass would notice some difference or is a (nearly) 180 degrees turn to small ?

 

Or was it just a weekend trip so he is back home in Arctic now ?

get ready to throw your compasses out in the next few thousand years, the poles are getting ready for a reversal, [b']last measurement i heard of was that magnetic north was somewhere in the sahara and is drifting lazily all over the place[/b]

LOL According to my compass the magnetic north is still in the direction it always has been and not drifting much at all.

Did you not notice that I bolded the "funny" part ?

[Rocket Man]

hmm, perhaps mr north would like to visit egypt..

i really need to get my facts straight, i think this might clarify the subject.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/29dec_magneticfield.htm

it seems i was told siberia not sahara, still, its not there yet.

tune in next week for more geographical blunders.