Magnetic field direction?

Flip27ByFlip27

I'm currently working on a problem that's basically quite simple and logical to answer, but I've now confused myself with various sources… A simple, short explanation would help me a lot 🙂

Task: The Earth's magnetic field, directed northward at a given location, has a horizontal component of Bh = 19 microTesla. Determine the direction of the force exerted by the horizontal field on an east-west overhead line when the current flows eastward (Schroeder, Metzler Physik, p. 233, no. 2 a).

I'm not sure, since based on the formula F = Bh*I*L, a force must obviously be acting. However, since the direction of the current (east) and the field ("horizontal") are opposite, the cross product is the zero vector. In this case, does "order" mean something other than east or west?

Thanks in advance for any help!

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Clemens1973
Clemens1973
4 months ago

The horizontal component of the magnetic field refers to the component which lies at the point under consideration in the plane of the earth's surface and points to the north. In addition, there is also a component of the magnetic field in the radial direction, ie in the direction of the center of the earth. For example, the illustration here:

https://www.ardalpha.de/wissen/natur/artenschutz/monarchfalter-waller-schlägeling-kompass-oriented-100~_image-12_-17d059606253d233bd3b03e2f2d25ed04a8e8f71.html

The horizontal component to the north and the line in the east-west direction are perpendicular to one another.

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