Question

You may have used a set of jumper cables connected to a running vehicle to start a car with a dead battery. Jumper cables are a matched pair of wires, red and black, joined together along their length. Suppose we have a set of jumper cables in which the two wires are separated by 1.2 cm along their 3.7 m (12 ft) length. While starting a car, the wires each carry a current of 150 A, in opposite directions. What is the force between the two wires?

Answer 1

1.3875 Newtons

Step-by-step explanation:

`i_1` = Current in one cable = 150 A

`i_2` = Current in other cable = 150 A

r = Radius of the cables = 1.2 cm

l = Length of the cables = 3.7 m

`\mu_0` = Vacuum permeability =
`4\pi* 10^(-7)\ H/m`

`F=(\mu_0i_1i_2* l)/(2\pi r)\\\Rightarrow F=(4\pi* 10^(-7)* 150* 150* 3.7)/(2\pi 0.012)\\\Rightarrow F=1.3875\ N`

The force between the two wires is 1.3875 Newtons