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Two parallel loops of wire with current moving in the same direction are near each other with an imaginary line connecting the centers of both loops and passing through the loops. What is the force between them?

User Donnit
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Final answer:

Two parallel loops of wire with currents in the same direction are subjected to an attractive magnetic force due to their created magnetic fields. This force can be calculated with a specific formula, and the wires are pulled toward each other.

Step-by-step explanation:

When two parallel loops of wire are carrying currents in the same direction, they feel a force between them due to the magnetic fields they create. Using the right-hand rule, we can determine the direction of the magnetic fields. Each loop creates a magnetic field that circulates around the wire. When currents flow in the same direction, the fields between the wires point in opposite directions and thus repel each other. However, on the outside of the wires, the fields point in the same direction and reinforce each other.

The actual force can be calculated using the formula for the magnetic force between two parallel conductors, which is (μ₀/2π)*(I₁I₂/r), where μ₀ is the permeability of free space, I₁ and I₂ are the currents in the wires, and r is the separation between the wires. The force per unit length between the wires is attractive, pulling the wires toward each other.

In summary, the two loops will feel an attractive force pulling them closer together. This phenomenon has practical applications, such as in the use of electromagnets, where increasing the number of loops and the current can increase the strength of the magnetic field and the force between the conductors.

User Uruk
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