Bob F Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 The strength of the magnetic field that surrounds a single conductor with current flowing though it ? is usually weak. varies directly with the amount of current flowing through the conductor. can be detected using a magnetic compass. all of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob F Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 The correct answer is "all of the above." When a current is flowing through a wire it produces a weak magnetic field, which varies with the amount of current that is flowing. The direction of the magnetic field changes if the direction of the current flow changes. Even though the magnetic field produced is small, it can still be detected by a compass. This is why it is important to keep the compass on your boat separated from any electrical equipment. (Electrical magnetic fields can pull the compass needle away from pointing to Magnetic North) These effects of current flow in wires, and magnetic fields, are used in the principles of Alternators (which we might get onto later if I can keep going that long!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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