What is oersted's law?

Answer 1

If you want it in simply words, then it is like this. Scientist Oersted found out that when electricity passes through a wire, it produces magnetism. If you search about Oersted Law in Google, you only get the apparatus. Try it and you can find the result.

He actually found out this phenomena when he was doing a bit of research after his lecture in his colledge.

He was also the person to obtain aluminiun for the first time ever.

Answer 2

Its an experiment initially. So basically, if you have a compass placed ABOVE a wire with current passing through it, you can use a form of the right-hand rule to determine which way the compass will point.

So there are two ways to use the right-hand rule:

* Where you point your thumb in the direction of the current flow, and use your other fingers to see which way the magnetic field is.

* Where you use your fingers (exculding the thumb and little finger) to curl around the direction of the current, and your thumb tells you the which way north is.

The one which we use for Oestred's Law is the first one. The second one is used for experiments involving an electromagnet ( solenoids)

Right so, you use the first form of the right-hand rule, and you let your fingers show you where the magnetic field is. Say your fingers are pointing East. Then the magnetic field is at East. And as a result, the compass needle will point towards East ( the needle would have been intially pointing North because thats what compasses are made to do! lol. )

SO what does this show?

That current produces magnetism!

How do we know this?

The compass needle moved East! ( according to my example)

How does this show that there is magnetism?

A compass always shows the direction of the magnetic field!

Does this answer you question?

Hope it does!

Conclusion:

Oestred's Law is basically the first right-hand rule and proves that current produces a magnetic field. It also helps us determine the direction of this magnetic field.