Chemical and Physical Foundations

A long, straight vertical wire carries a conventional electric current upward. At a point directly east of the wire, in which direction does the magnetic field produced by the current point?

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Answer: D (Horizontally toward the north)

The magnetic field produced by a current in a long, straight wire forms concentric circles around the wire. Applying the right-hand rule with the thumb pointing upward in the direction of conventional current, the curled fingers point toward the north at a location directly east of the wire. Therefore, the magnetic field points horizontally toward the north.

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