VERSIONS OF THE RIGHT HAND RULE: C. Erkal-Fall 2000

For straight wire:

Thumb is in the direction of the current,

magnetic field lines curl in the direction

of your right hand’s fingers. Magnetic

field lines are circular around the wire.

For Circular wire:

Palm curls in the direction of the current

in the loop, the thumb indicates the magnetic

field direction. This direction, perpendicular

to the loop is also the direction of the magnetic

moment μ.

For :

Palm straight along the direction of V or I

sweep the smaller angle between v and B

toward B , thumb is the direction of the

cross product, in this case force F.