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TASPhysicsQuick questions
Unit 3: Gravity and Electromagnetism
Quick questions on Magnetic fields and materials - TCE Physics (Tasmania)
2short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are fields from currents?Show answer
A straight current-carrying wire produces a circular magnetic field around it. The right-hand grip rule gives the direction: point your right thumb along the conventional current and your curled fingers show the field looping around the wire.
What is earth's magnetic field?Show answer
Earth behaves like a giant bar magnet tilted slightly from its spin axis. A compass aligns horizontally with this field, but a needle free to rotate vertically also tilts downward; the angle below the horizontal is the angle of dip. The dip is near zero at the equator and close to vertical near the magnetic poles, which tells us the field has a vertical component that varies with latitude.
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