Two insulated current-carrying straight wires of equal length are arranged in the lab so that Wire A carries a current northward and Wire B carries a current eastward, the wires crossing at their midpoints separated only by their insulation. Which of the following statements are true?

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**Title: Magnetic Interactions between Current-Carrying Wires**

**Question:**

Two insulated current-carrying straight wires of equal length are arranged in the lab so that Wire A carries a current northward and Wire B carries a current eastward, the wires crossing at their midpoints separated only by their insulation. Which of the following statements are true?

**Options:**

- ○ There are forces, but the net force on each wire is zero.
- ○ The net force on Wire A is westward.
- ○ The net force on Wire B is southward.
- ○ There are no forces in this situation. 

**Explanation:**

In this setup, magnetic forces arise due to the currents in the wires. When two wires carry currents, they exert magnetic forces on each other that depend on the direction and magnitude of each current. The right-hand rule can be used to determine the direction of these forces.

**Analysis:**

- **Force on Wire A:** The force on Wire A due to the current in Wire B would be perpendicular to both the direction of Wire B's current and the magnetic field generated by Wire B.
  
- **Force on Wire B:** Similarly, the force on Wire B due to Wire A's current would be perpendicular to both Wire A's current direction and the magnetic field generated by Wire A.

In this case, the forces do not cancel out individually, even though they may be balanced in certain setups. This scenario requires understanding vector forces and the application of Ampere's Law to analyze the magnetic interactions effectively.
Transcribed Image Text:**Title: Magnetic Interactions between Current-Carrying Wires** **Question:** Two insulated current-carrying straight wires of equal length are arranged in the lab so that Wire A carries a current northward and Wire B carries a current eastward, the wires crossing at their midpoints separated only by their insulation. Which of the following statements are true? **Options:** - ○ There are forces, but the net force on each wire is zero. - ○ The net force on Wire A is westward. - ○ The net force on Wire B is southward. - ○ There are no forces in this situation. **Explanation:** In this setup, magnetic forces arise due to the currents in the wires. When two wires carry currents, they exert magnetic forces on each other that depend on the direction and magnitude of each current. The right-hand rule can be used to determine the direction of these forces. **Analysis:** - **Force on Wire A:** The force on Wire A due to the current in Wire B would be perpendicular to both the direction of Wire B's current and the magnetic field generated by Wire B. - **Force on Wire B:** Similarly, the force on Wire B due to Wire A's current would be perpendicular to both Wire A's current direction and the magnetic field generated by Wire A. In this case, the forces do not cancel out individually, even though they may be balanced in certain setups. This scenario requires understanding vector forces and the application of Ampere's Law to analyze the magnetic interactions effectively.
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