If Earth’s magnetic field emanates from the interior of the earth outward, and magnetosphere is large enough and strong enough to deflect electrified particles thrown by solar flares, how are we able to direct narrow bands of magnetic fields while living within a giant magnetic field? E.g. transfer electricity along utility lines by directing magnetic fields around the wires?
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The magnetosphere is very big because the earth is very big, but it isn’t really that strong. The magnetic force exerted by the magnetosphere is something like 150-400 times weaker than that of a common magnet. It’s just very big, and the charged particles hitting it in space are very small. Even a common magnet would be enough to deflect these particles if you brought it to space, it just wouldn’t be very effective in doing so because of how tiny it’s range is.
The other part of the question I’m not clear on. We don’t use magnetic fields to direct energy through utility lines – that’s just current flowing through wires. It does generate a magnetic field, but that’s a consequence of electricity passing through the wires, not what is causing it to move.
The magnetosphere is strong because it is huge. It can deflect particles by nudging at them constantly over a distance of several earth diameters. It won’t nudge the electrons out of our puny wires that span a tiny fraction of the planet’s surface at most.
The magnetosphere is strong because it is huge. It can deflect particles by nudging at them constantly over a distance of several earth diameters. It won’t nudge the electrons out of our puny wires that span a tiny fraction of the planet’s surface at most.
The magnetosphere is strong because it is huge. It can deflect particles by nudging at them constantly over a distance of several earth diameters. It won’t nudge the electrons out of our puny wires that span a tiny fraction of the planet’s surface at most.
The magnetosphere is very big because the earth is very big, but it isn’t really that strong. The magnetic force exerted by the magnetosphere is something like 150-400 times weaker than that of a common magnet. It’s just very big, and the charged particles hitting it in space are very small. Even a common magnet would be enough to deflect these particles if you brought it to space, it just wouldn’t be very effective in doing so because of how tiny it’s range is.
The other part of the question I’m not clear on. We don’t use magnetic fields to direct energy through utility lines – that’s just current flowing through wires. It does generate a magnetic field, but that’s a consequence of electricity passing through the wires, not what is causing it to move.
The magnetosphere is very big because the earth is very big, but it isn’t really that strong. The magnetic force exerted by the magnetosphere is something like 150-400 times weaker than that of a common magnet. It’s just very big, and the charged particles hitting it in space are very small. Even a common magnet would be enough to deflect these particles if you brought it to space, it just wouldn’t be very effective in doing so because of how tiny it’s range is.
The other part of the question I’m not clear on. We don’t use magnetic fields to direct energy through utility lines – that’s just current flowing through wires. It does generate a magnetic field, but that’s a consequence of electricity passing through the wires, not what is causing it to move.
The main question has been answered in comments, I think, but to further put things into perspective:
The total energy of Earth’s magnetic field is very roughly our current energy consumption over a thousand years. This on one side sounds seriously huge, it’s enough to boil away the Caspian sea (twice, actually). On the other hand, it is not at the absurd scales most other cosmic things are (e.g. dismembering the entire planet, solar energy output, or worst, supernovae), we _could_ get there if we very very seriously want it even with current tech.
(I hope I remembered the total energy correctly, as modern Google is utterly useless when trying to verify them; all other numbers have been re-calculated.)
The main question has been answered in comments, I think, but to further put things into perspective:
The total energy of Earth’s magnetic field is very roughly our current energy consumption over a thousand years. This on one side sounds seriously huge, it’s enough to boil away the Caspian sea (twice, actually). On the other hand, it is not at the absurd scales most other cosmic things are (e.g. dismembering the entire planet, solar energy output, or worst, supernovae), we _could_ get there if we very very seriously want it even with current tech.
(I hope I remembered the total energy correctly, as modern Google is utterly useless when trying to verify them; all other numbers have been re-calculated.)
The main question has been answered in comments, I think, but to further put things into perspective:
The total energy of Earth’s magnetic field is very roughly our current energy consumption over a thousand years. This on one side sounds seriously huge, it’s enough to boil away the Caspian sea (twice, actually). On the other hand, it is not at the absurd scales most other cosmic things are (e.g. dismembering the entire planet, solar energy output, or worst, supernovae), we _could_ get there if we very very seriously want it even with current tech.
(I hope I remembered the total energy correctly, as modern Google is utterly useless when trying to verify them; all other numbers have been re-calculated.)
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