Electromagnetism
Magnetic Fields Around Wires
To describe the magnetic field around a current-carrying wire and predict how changing the current affects it.

What you will learn

Why current in a wire produces a magnetic field

What the field looks like around a straight wire

How current direction changes field direction

How current strength affects the field

How to use the right-hand grip rule
Explanation
An electric current produces a magnetic field around a conducting wire. For a straight wire, the field lines are concentric circles; the right-hand grip rule gives their direction using conventional current. Increasing current strengthens the field, while the field becomes weaker farther from the wire; reversing current reverses field direction. Example: Determine field direction for current away from the observer. The field is clockwise as viewed by that observer. Use evidence. Apply the model.
