Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A wire runs from A to B, m east, then from B to C, m north, then from C to D, m west. It carries A. A uniform field of T points out of the page, with east to the right and north up the page. (a) Find the force on the wire from A to D. (b) Check it by finding the force on each of the three straight parts. (c) A wire in the shape of a half circle of radius m carries A in the same field. The field is at right angles to its plane. Find the force on it.
, 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 whole wire. A is at the start, D is at the end. D is m east and m north of A. So the effective length is m. . The effective length is north, the field is out of the page, and . The force points east.
Step 2. The three parts. AB: N, with , to the south. BC: N, to the east. CD: N, with , to the north. The south and north forces cancel. The east force is N. It agrees.
Step 3. The half circle. .
Answer: N, and N.
Watch out. The arc has a length of m, but the force is not . Only the straight line between the ends counts.
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