22.3 Magnetic Fields and Magnetic Field Lines Einstein is said to have been fascinated by a compass as a child, perhaps musing on how the needle felt a force without direct physical contact. His ability to think deeply and clearly about action at a distance, particularly for gravitational, electric, and magnetic forces, later enabled him to create his revolutionary theory of relativity. Since magnetic forces act at a distance, we define a magnetic field to represent magnetic forces. The pictorial representation of magnetic field lines is very useful in visualizing the strength and direction of the magnetic field. As shown in Figure 22.15, the direction of magnetic field lines is defined to be the direction in which the north end of a compass needle points. The magnetic field is traditionally called the B- field. 00 N. (a) (b) (c) Figure 22.15 Magnetic field lines are defined to have the direction that a small compass points when placed at a location. (a) If small compasses are used to map the magnetic field around a bar magnet, they will point in the directions shown: away from the north pole of the magnet, toward the south pole of the magnet. (Recall that the Earth's north magnetic pole is really a south pole in terms of definitions of poles on a bar magnet.) (b) Connecting the arrows gives continuous magnetic field lines. The strength of the field is proportional to the closeness (or density) of the lines. (c) If the interior of the magnet could be probed, the field lines would be found to form continuous closed loops.

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Chapter29: Magnetic Fields
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 Magnetic Fields and Magnetic Field Lines
• Define magnetic field and describe the magnetic field lines of various magnetic fields.

22.3 Magnetic Fields and Magnetic Field Lines
Einstein is said to have been fascinated by a compass as a child, perhaps musing on how the needle felt a force without direct
physical contact. His ability to think deeply and clearly about action at a distance, particularly for gravitational, electric, and
magnetic forces, later enabled him to create his revolutionary theory of relativity. Since magnetic forces act at a distance, we
define a magnetic field to represent magnetic forces. The pictorial representation of magnetic field lines is very useful in
visualizing the strength and direction of the magnetic field. As shown in Figure 22.15, the direction of magnetic field lines is
defined to be the direction in which the north end of a compass needle points. The magnetic field is traditionally called the B-
field.
00
N.
(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 22.15 Magnetic field lines are defined to have the direction that a small compass points when placed at a location. (a) If small compasses are
used to map the magnetic field around a bar magnet, they will point in the directions shown: away from the north pole of the magnet, toward the south
pole of the magnet. (Recall that the Earth's north magnetic pole is really a south pole in terms of definitions of poles on a bar magnet.) (b) Connecting
the arrows gives continuous magnetic field lines. The strength of the field is proportional to the closeness (or density) of the lines. (c) If the interior of
the magnet could be probed, the field lines would be found to form continuous closed loops.
Transcribed Image Text:22.3 Magnetic Fields and Magnetic Field Lines Einstein is said to have been fascinated by a compass as a child, perhaps musing on how the needle felt a force without direct physical contact. His ability to think deeply and clearly about action at a distance, particularly for gravitational, electric, and magnetic forces, later enabled him to create his revolutionary theory of relativity. Since magnetic forces act at a distance, we define a magnetic field to represent magnetic forces. The pictorial representation of magnetic field lines is very useful in visualizing the strength and direction of the magnetic field. As shown in Figure 22.15, the direction of magnetic field lines is defined to be the direction in which the north end of a compass needle points. The magnetic field is traditionally called the B- field. 00 N. (a) (b) (c) Figure 22.15 Magnetic field lines are defined to have the direction that a small compass points when placed at a location. (a) If small compasses are used to map the magnetic field around a bar magnet, they will point in the directions shown: away from the north pole of the magnet, toward the south pole of the magnet. (Recall that the Earth's north magnetic pole is really a south pole in terms of definitions of poles on a bar magnet.) (b) Connecting the arrows gives continuous magnetic field lines. The strength of the field is proportional to the closeness (or density) of the lines. (c) If the interior of the magnet could be probed, the field lines would be found to form continuous closed loops.
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