Many of the diagrams given in Figure show magnetic field lines (thick lines in the figure) wrongly. Point out what is wrong with them. Some of them may describe electrostatic field lines correctly. Point out which ones.

$(a)$ Wrong. Magnetic field lines can never emanate from a point, as shown in figure. Over any closed surface, the net flux of $B$ must always be zero, i.e., pictorially as many field lines should seem to enter the surface as the number of lines leaving it. The field lines shown, in fact, represent electric field of a long positively charged wire. The correct magnetic field lines are circling the straight conductor.

$(b)$ Wrong. Magnetic field lines (like electric field lines) can never cross each other, because otherwise the direction of field at the point of intersection is ambiguous. There is further error in the figure. Magnetostatic field lines can never form closed loops around empty space. A closed loop of static magnetic field line must enclose a region across which a current is passing. By contrast, electrostatic field lines can never form closed loops, neither in empty space, nor when the loop encloses charges.

$(c)$ Right. Magnetic lines are completely confined within a toroid. Nothing wrong here in field lines forming closed loops, since each loop encloses a region across which a current passes. Note, for clarity of figure, only a few field lines within the toroid have been shown. Actually, the entire region enclosed by the windings contains magnetic field.

$(d)$ Wrong. Field lines due to a solenoid at its ends and outside cannot be so completely straight and confined; such a thing violates Ampere’s law. The lines should curve out at both ends, and meet eventually to form closed loops.

$(e)$ Right. These are field lines outside and inside a bar magnet. Note carefully the direction of field lines inside. Not all field lines emanate out of a north pole (or converge into a south pole). Around both the $N-$pole, and the $S-$pole, the net flux of the field is zero.

$(f)$ Wrong. These field lines cannot possibly represent a magnetic field. Look at the upper region. All the field lines seem to emanate out of the shaded plate. The net flux through a surface surrounding the shaded plate is not zero. This is impossible for a magnetic field. The given field lines, in fact, show the electrostatic field lines around a positively charged upper plate and a negatively charged lower plate. The difference between Figure $(e)$ and $(f)$ should be carefully grasped.

$(g)$ Wrong. Magnetic field lines between two pole pieces cannot be precisely straight at the ends. Some fringing of lines is inevitable. Otherwise, Ampere’s law is violated. This is also true for electric field lines.