The earth has a magnetic field of about 0.5 G. The B field points outward at the

Question

The earth has a magnetic field of about 0.5 G. The B field points outward at the south pole and inward at the north pole, meaning that the earth's geographical north pole is (close to) a magnetic south pole. The magnetic field extends from a radius of 2500 km to 3400 km from the center of the earth.

a) Using a very cryde model, represent this current as a thin circle at a distance of 3000 km from the center of the earth and centered on the earth's axis. Find the magnitude and directions of such a current that would be necessary to produce a field of 0.5 G at the earth's north pole. (Consider earth to be a sphere with radius 6380 km).

b) Now draw a much more adequate model for the earth's magnetic field and explain effects that the simplified model can't account for.

Explanation / Answer

A magnetic field is the magnetic effect of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude (or strength); as such it is a vector field.[nb 1] The term is used for two distinct but closely related fields denoted by the symbols B and H, where H is measured in units of amperes per meter (symbol: A

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