Question 6A39

A coil carrying an electric current generates a magnetic field, effectively becoming an electromagnet. The magnetic field lines within a coil run along its axis. A magnetic compass needle is itself a small magnet and will align with an external magnetic field. Specifically: * The compass needle will orient itself parallel to the magnetic field lines. Since the magnetic field within the coil is along its axis, the compass will tend to become parallel with the coil's axis (Statement A). * The North pole of the compass needle will point in the direction of the magnetic field. The magnetic field lines inside the coil emerge from the coil's North magnetic pole end (determined by the right-hand rule) and enter its South magnetic pole end. Therefore, the compass's North pole will point towards the North pole end of the coil (Statement B). Both statements A and B accurately describe the behavior of a compass within a current-carrying coil.