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Related Concept Videos

Magnetic Fields01:27

Magnetic Fields

7.4K
A moving charge or a current creates a magnetic field in the surrounding space, in addition to its electric field. The magnetic field exerts a force on any other moving charge or current that is present in the field. Like an electric field, the magnetic field is also a vector field. At any position, the direction of the magnetic field is defined as the direction in which the north pole of a compass needle points.
A magnetic field is defined by the force that a charged particle experiences...
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Magnetic Field of a Solenoid01:18

Magnetic Field of a Solenoid

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A solenoid is a conducting wire coated with an insulating material, wound tightly in the form of a helical coil. The magnetic field due to a solenoid is the vector sum of the magnetic fields due to its individual turns. Therefore, for an ideal solenoid, the magnetic field within the solenoid is directly proportional to the number of turns per unit length and the current. Conversely, the magnetic field outside the solenoid is zero.
Consider a solenoid with 100 turns wrapped around a cylinder of...
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Magnetic Field Lines01:19

Magnetic Field Lines

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The representation of magnetic fields by magnetic field lines is very useful in visualizing the strength and direction of the magnetic field. Each of the magnetic field lines forms a closed loop. The field lines emerge from the north pole (N), loop around to the south pole (S), and continue through the bar magnet back to the north pole.
Magnetic field lines follow several hard-and-fast rules:
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Energy In A Magnetic Field01:24

Energy In A Magnetic Field

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If a magnetic field is sustained, there must be a current in a closed circuit or loop, implying some energy has been spent in creating the field. If this energy is not dissipated via the circuit's resistance, it is stored in the field.
Take an ideal inductor with zero resistance. Although it's practically impossible, assume that the coil's resistance is so small that it is practically negligible. The loss of the field's energy to dissipate thermal energy (or heat) is thus...
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Magnetic Field Of A Current Loop01:16

Magnetic Field Of A Current Loop

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Consider a circular loop with a radius a, that carries a current I. The magnetic field due to the current at an arbitrary point P along the axis of the loop can be calculated using the Biot-Savart law.
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Magnetic Field due to Moving Charges01:23

Magnetic Field due to Moving Charges

11.7K
A stationary charge creates and interacts with the electric field, while a moving charge creates a magnetic field.
Consider a point charge moving with a constant velocity. Like the electric field, the magnetic field at any point is directly proportional to the magnitude of the charge and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the source point and the field point. However, unlike the electric field, the magnetic field is always perpendicular to the plane containing the line...
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Electric and Magnetic Field Devices for Stimulation of Biological Tissues
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Hornet building orientation in additional magnetic fields.

M Kisliuk1, J S Ishay

  • 1Department of Electronics, School of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv.

Life Sciences and Space Research
|January 1, 1978
PubMed
Summary

Oriental hornet workers use Earth's magnetic field for building. Manipulating this field in artificial breeding boxes altered comb orientation, showing magnetic cues guide nest construction.

Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Biophysics
  • Entomology

Background:

  • Hornets (Vespa orientalis) naturally build downward-facing combs in artificial breeding boxes.
  • Cell orientation is typically within 3-14 degrees of vertical.
  • This orientation is hypothesized to result from gravity and Earth's magnetic field.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the Earth's magnetic field in hornet comb construction.
  • To determine how artificial magnetic fields influence nest building orientation.

Main Methods:

  • Hornets were placed in artificial breeding boxes with controlled static magnetic fields.
  • Magnetic fields were used to compensate for the Earth's vertical magnetic field component.
  • Comb and cell orientation was observed and measured under different magnetic field conditions.

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Main Results:

  • Compensating the vertical magnetic field caused hornets to build cells horizontally or on side walls/floors.
  • Uniform compensating fields resulted in horizontal cell axes.
  • Non-uniform fields led to gradual downward orientation, while highly non-uniform fields caused disorientation and upward/weakest-field-seeking construction.

Conclusions:

  • Earth's magnetic field is a significant factor influencing hornet nest orientation.
  • Altering magnetic field components directly impacts the directionality of comb and cell construction.
  • Hornets exhibit complex responses to magnetic field gradients, potentially seeking optimal construction sites.