Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A straight horizontal wire has a mass of g in each metre of its length. It lies across a horizontal field of T that points north. (a) In which direction must the current flow, east or west, so that the magnetic force is upward? (b) What current makes the wire float? (c) What is the acceleration of the wire if the current is twice that value?
, or , with along the current. In a uniform field a bent wire feels the force of the straight wire between its ends, and a closed loop feels none. A wire floats when .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The direction. Let east be , north be and up be . The field is along . A current to the east has along , and , which is up. So the current flows east.
Step 2. The current. For each metre of wire, with m and kg. We want , so .
Step 3. Twice the current. The magnetic force is now and the weight is . The net force is , upward, so .
Answer: east; A; upward.
Check. The magnetic force for each metre is N, which is the weight of g: N.
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