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Right-Hand Physics Rules


ChikkyD

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I'm currently revising for my physics exam, and I am finding it SO difficult to remember and understand all the right hand grip, finger and palm rules. bawling.gif

Could anybody care to help and explain them to me? And when I am meant to use them? There's 3 or 4 I think. But I'm really quite confused about which is which and in which situations to use them.

Thank you >_<

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Well when a charge moves it creates a magnetic field. So a charge carrying wire will produce a magnetic field around it. In this case, you will use the following rule:

zcnEp.png

The other one (Fleming's right hand rule) is used when you need to work out the direction of an induced current if you know the motion and field direction (i.e. a generator).

tvMjS.png

The final rule is Flemings left hand rule. I'm guessing you've translated it to your right hand, which is pretty common. This rule is for motors, and it's to calculate the force present on a current. (gif.latex?F=BIl)

ys8f1.png

I'm sure you can imagine that rule on your right hand (using your palm):

Your palm is the force

Thumb is the current

fingers are the field

I hope that answered your question :)

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Thank you! :D

The situations you've listed.. are they the only situations those rules apply for? Like, the flemmings right hand rule.. is that ONLY for generators?

Well i'm sure there is, but I'm not sure if you would get that on an exam. The rule is also known as the generator rule, but its just based off the principle that if you move a conductor in a magnetic field, which is pretty much a generator :)

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Just to add something about the wire/current one (first one Ezeh lists), if I remember right the RIGHT hand rules is when they give you information about where a POSITIVE test charge is moving. If they give information regarding an electron's movement you would actually use your left hand for these because an electron goes the opposite direction that a positive test charge would.

There's probably a high chance that I've confused the two since I haven't done this in...a really long time now...I do know that the hand you use for these rules does depend on the particle they give you information about though.

Edited by Drake Glau
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