The body contains many small currents caused by the motion of ions in the organs and cells. Measurements of the magnetic field around the chest due to currents in the heart give values of about 10 mG.

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asked Mar 9, 2021 150k views

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The body contains many small currents caused by the motion of ions in the organs and cells. Measurements of the magnetic field around the chest due to currents in the heart give values of about 10 mG. Although the actual currents are rather complicated, we can gain a rough understanding of their magnitude if we model them as a long, straight wire. If the surface of the chest is 5.0 cm from this current, how large is the current in the heart?