Magnetic fields obey the right-hand rule.
True or False?
True
The magnetic field made by a current in a straight wire curls around the wire in a ring. You can find it by pointing your right thumb in the direction of the current in the wire and curling your fingers. Your fingers will be curled in the same direction as the magnetic field around the wire.
A magnetic field around a wire with current moving upward
It turns out that you can do the opposite of this rule to figure out the direction of the current in a wire if you already know the direction of the magnetic field. Point your thumb in the direction of the magnetic field this time and curl your fingers just as before. This time, the circular direction of your fingers tells you the direction of the current that creates the magnetic field.
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