Question

Two long straight wires ( 1 and 2 ) carry equal amounts of current. Wire 1 carries current out of the page; wire 2, into the page. The vertical component of the net magnetic field at location P is: - P a. Toward the top of the page b. toward to the bottom of the page c. zero

Answer 1

The vertical component of the net magnetic field at point P, created by two long, straight wires carrying equal and opposite currents, is zero when P is equidistant from both wires, as the fields' vertical components cancel each other out according to the right-hand rule.

The correct answer is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the magnetic field created by two long, straight wires carrying equal but opposite currents. To determine the vertical component of the net magnetic field at location P, one must use the right-hand rule to assess the direction of the magnetic fields created by each wire individually. According to this rule, for wire 1 with current coming out of the page, the magnetic field circles the wire in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from above.

For wire 2, with current going into the page, the magnetic field would circle the wire in a clockwise direction. At point P, the vertical components of these fields oppose each other; therefore, if P is equidistant from both wires, the vertical components cancel out, resulting in a net magnetic field of zero at location P.