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September 20, 2025, 04:28:00 pm
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Author Topic: Difference between placing a compass above and below a current carrying wire?  (Read 1441 times)  Share 

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Gilla1

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Difference between placing a compass above and below a current carrying wire?
« on: July 12, 2011, 06:33:10 pm »
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What difference would it make to a compass needle to have it in these two positions?
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appianway

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Re: Difference between placing a compass above and below a current carrying wire?
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2011, 07:16:55 pm »
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Basically, the external fields (neglecting the earth's magnetic field) will be in opposite directions.
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Gilla1

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Re: Difference between placing a compass above and below a current carrying wire?
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2011, 07:50:11 pm »
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is that something we're supposed to just know or do we have to know why? :S
why would it be in opposite directions if the current is still going the same way? D:
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appianway

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Re: Difference between placing a compass above and below a current carrying wire?
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2011, 07:52:48 pm »
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It's basically to do with the shape of the field around a current carrying wire. Basically, the field "curls" around the wire in a circle, so if the field is clockwise, the field at the top will be pointing to the right and the field at the bottom will be pointing to the left.
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