Which of the following is true about magnetism?

The correct answer is Option (2) → An electric current produces a magnetic field.

Option (1) Stationary charges produce a magnetic field. — Incorrect. Charges at rest produce only an electric field. A magnetic field needs charges in motion.

Option (2) An electric current produces a magnetic field. — Correct. A current is a flow of charges, and moving charges or currents produce a magnetic field in the space around them. Oersted found that a current in a straight wire deflects a nearby compass needle.

Option (3) A compass brought near a system of stationary charges shows a deflection. — Incorrect. A compass needle turns only in a magnetic field. Charges at rest set up no magnetic field, so the needle does not turn.

NCERT (2026-27):
Sources and Fields – “Just as static charges produce an electric field, the currents or moving charges produce (in addition) a magnetic field, denoted by B (r), again a vector field.”