• A current carrying conductor, such as a wire, produces a?magnetic field?around it
• The direction of the field depends on the direction of the current through the wire
  • This is determined by the?right hand thumb rule
• Parallel current-carrying conductors will therefore either attract or repel each other
  • If the currents are in the?same?direction in both conductors, the magnetic field lines between the conductors cancel out – the conductors will?attract?each other
  • If the currents are in the?opposite?direction in both conductors, the magnetic field lines between the conductors push each other apart – the conductors will?repel?each other

Both wires will attract if their currents are in the same direction and repel if in opposite directions

• When the conductors?attract, the direction of the?magnetic forces?will be?towards?each other
• When the conductors?repel, the direction of the magnetic forces will be?away?from each other
• The magnitude of each force depend on the amount of current and length of the wire

• Newton’s Third Law states:
  • When two bodies interact, the force on one body is?equal but opposite?in direction to the force on the other body
• Therefore, the forces on the wires act in equal but opposite directions