Draw gravitational field lines between 2 masses, electric field lines between a positive and a negative charge, electric field lines between 2 positive charges and magnetic field lines around a magnet. Qualitatively describe the differences between the fields and the entities responsible for the field lines.

Short Answer

Expert verified

A gravitational field is caused by any massive object, and gravitational field lines point radially towards the center of an object, extending back to infinity.

An electric field is caused by electric charges. The electric field lines originate from a positive charge and terminate in a negative charge.

A magnetic field is caused by electric currents. The magnetic field lines form a closed loop, emerging from north magnetic poles and converging at south magnetic poles.

Step by step solution

01

Field lines due to gravitation between two masses.

A gravitational field is caused by any object with mass, and gravitational field lines point radially inward towards the center and extend back to infinity.

Notice that the more densely spaced field lines are associated with the more massive body, i.e., the field strength is proportional to the density of lines, shown in the image below.

02

Filed lines due to the electric field between two masses.

An electric field is caused by an electric charge, positive or negative. The electric field lines originate from a positive charge and terminate in a negative charge. Images below illustrate the electric field of two unlike and like point charges, respectively.

03

Magnetic fields due to electric currents.

A magnetic field describes the magnetic influence on moving electric charges and magnetic materials. The electric current is the source of all magnetism, which essentially means that a magnetic field is caused by electric currents. Furthermore, the north and south magnetic poles cannot be separated, and a magnetic monopole is (as of yet) a theoretical entity. Magnetic field lines form a closed loop, emerging out of the north poles and converging at the south poles.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

An inventor wants to generate \({\rm{120 - V}}\) power by moving a \({\rm{1}}{\rm{.00 - m - long}}\) wire perpendicular to the Earth's \({\rm{5}}{\rm{.00 \times 1}}{{\rm{0}}^{{\rm{ - 5}}}}{\rm{\;T}}\) field. (a) Find the speed with which the wire must move. (b) What is unreasonable about this result? (c) Which assumption is responsible?

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Consider using the torque on a current-carrying coil in a magnetic field to detect relatively small magnetic fields (less than the field of the Earth, for example). Construct a problem in which you calculate the maximum torque on a current-carrying loop in a magnetic field. Among the things to be considered are the size of the coil, the number of loops it has, the current you pass through the coil, and the size of the field you wish to detect. Discuss whether the torque produced is large enough to be effectively measured. Your instructor may also wish for you to consider the effects, if any, of the field produced by the coil on the surroundings that could affect detection of the small field.

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(a) Estimate the field the loop creates by calculating the field at the center of a circular loop 20.0 cm in diameter carrying 5.00A

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