Magnetic force between neutral wires
ID: past-exam-of-the-optics-and-electrodynamics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2018/section-b/b4/magnetic-force-between-neutral-wires
Past exam of the optics and electrodynamics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 Section B B4 Magnetic force between neutral wires by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
A long straight wire carrying current produces field magnitude at a parallel wire a distance away. The magnetic force on a current-carrying wire is . Hence for equal currents,The two forces have equal magnitude and opposite directions. Net electrical neutrality removes a lab-frame external electrostatic force between ideal uniform wires, but does not remove their magnetic interaction.
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