- #1
nemuritai
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I understand the iron fillings become little magnets all pointing in the same north south direction similar to the spin aligned electrons in the permanent magnet.
Similarly, a compass near a wire traces out the magnetic field lines ie North/South.
My question is how do I reconcile the fact that the force of a magnet on another magnet is along the field lines whereas for two wires it is perpendicular? The latter is from the fact that the lorentz force is perpendicular to v and B, but why is the force of two magnets alongside the magnetic field instead of perpendicular?
Is the force alongside the B field in one and perpendicular in the other? What error have I made?![Magnetic_field_of_bar_magnets_attracting.png Magnetic_field_of_bar_magnets_attracting.png](https://www.physicsforums.com/data/attachments/297/297634-f6cc8fda3acff513af9911fbf0958f19.jpg)
Similarly, a compass near a wire traces out the magnetic field lines ie North/South.
My question is how do I reconcile the fact that the force of a magnet on another magnet is along the field lines whereas for two wires it is perpendicular? The latter is from the fact that the lorentz force is perpendicular to v and B, but why is the force of two magnets alongside the magnetic field instead of perpendicular?
Is the force alongside the B field in one and perpendicular in the other? What error have I made?
![Magnetic_field_of_bar_magnets_attracting.png Magnetic_field_of_bar_magnets_attracting.png](https://www.physicsforums.com/data/attachments/297/297634-f6cc8fda3acff513af9911fbf0958f19.jpg)