Two parallel straight conductors carrying current in the same direction attract each other? Explain why. What will you conclude if the direction of current in conductors is opposite?

When two parallel conductors carry current in the same direction, they produce magnetic fields around them. According to Ampere’s Right-Hand Rule, the magnetic field due to one conductor exerts a force on the other. By Laplace’s Force Law, the two conductors experience an attractive force because the magnetic field of one conductor exerts a force that pulls the other closer.

If the direction of current in the conductors is opposite, the magnetic field lines between them will repel each other, resulting in a repulsive force between the conductors.

Related Questions:

  1. Bar magnets are dropped in long pipes made up of plastic and copper (of the same length) simultaneously. The bar magnet comes out later through the copper pipe than through the plastic pipe. Why?
  2. What is the direction of rotation of the coil (shown in the figure) when the switch is closed? Label the diagram with the direction of forces forming a couple and the rotation of the coil.
  3. A bar magnet is moving near a ring. What is the direction of the induced current in the ring when:
  4. Why is the output of a transformer zero if DC voltage is applied to its primary coil?
  5. Why are coils of a transformer wound on an iron core?
  6. Why is step-up transmission used for long-distance transmission?
  7. When you push a bar magnet towards a single-turn coil, you feel an opposing force. If the magnet is pushed towards a coil with many turns, why is the opposing force greater?
  8. How do split rings (commutators) in a DC motor differ from slip rings in an AC motor?
  9. Numerical Problems – Chapter 15: Electromagnetism
  10. Discuss the magnetic field produced around a straight current-carrying conductor. State and explain the rule by which the direction of the lines of force of the magnetic field around a current-carrying conductor can be determined.
  11. What is a solenoid? Discuss the magnetic field due to a current-carrying solenoid. How can you find the direction of its field?
  12. Why is force applied on a current-carrying conductor in an external magnetic field? Write its formula. What are the different factors on which this force depends? State the rule by which the direction of this force can be found.
  13. Why is torque applied on a current-carrying coil placed in a magnetic field? Discuss in detail. What are the factors on which torque depends?
  14. What is a DC motor? Describe its construction and working in detail.
  15. Physics 10 MCQ
  16. Simple harmonic motion and waves
  17. Simple harmonic motion and waves-NFE
  18. Give an example of vibratory motion which is not simple harmonic motion. Give a reason for your selection.
  19. At the extreme position, velocity is zero but acceleration is maximum in simple harmonic motion. How can you theoretically explain it?
  20. What will happen to the acceleration of a mass-spring system if its mass is doubled?