Q.6 When the current is switched on through a wire, a compass needle kept nearby gets deflected from its north-south position. Explain.

(1) The needle of a compass is a tiny magnet, which points in the north-south direction. When a magnet is brought close to it, the needle gets deflected.

(2) When an electric current passes through a wire, it behaves like a magnet.

(3) This magnetic effect of the electric current makes the compass needle deflect from the north-south direction.