Question

A 15. 0 ampere current flows through a 4. 75 m section of wire, perpendicular to a 0. 250 t magnetic field. what is the magnitude of the force exerted by the field on the wire section?

Answer 1

Approximately
`17.8\; {\rm L}`.

Step-by-step explanation:

Consider a straight wire section of length
`L` carrying a current of
`I`. If that wire is placed in a magnetic field of strength
`B` at an angle of
`\theta` relative to the field, the magnitude of the magnetic force on this wire would be:

`F = B\, I\, L\, \sin(\theta)`.

In this question,
`\theta = 90^(\circ)` since the wire is perpendicular to the magnetic field. The magnitude of the magnetic force on this wire would be:

`\begin{aligned}F &= B\, I\, L\, \sin(\theta) \\ &= (0.250\; {\rm T}) \, (15.0\; {\rm A}) \, (4.75\; {\rm m})\, (\sin(90^(\circ)) \\ &\approx 17.8\; {\rm N} \end{aligned}`.