Past exam of the physics course of the year 1 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2013 / Paper 1 / Section E / E14

In magnetostatics Ampère's circuital law is $\oint \mathbf{B}\cdot d\mathbf{l}={\mu }_0{I}_{\mathrm{enc}}$. Its general vacuum version adds ${\mu }_0{ϵ}_{0}d{\Phi }_E/dt$ on the right. Faraday's law is $\mathcal{E}=\oint \mathbf{E}\cdot d\mathbf{l}=-d{\Phi }_B/dt$ for a fixed loop. A circular Amperian path around a long straight wire giveswith direction given by the right-hand rule. The force on a wire element is $d\mathbf{F}=Id\mathbf{l}\times \mathbf{B}$; its magnitude is $IBdl\sin \chi$ and its direction follows this cross product.

Choose the straight-wire current rightward and the square below it, as printed. Its positive magnetic field there is into the page. With an into-page loop normal, the magnetic flux linkage isHere $\mathcal{M}$ denotes mutual inductance, not a mass. Choose positive coil current to produce an out-of-page field. Then its induced current in the resistance-dominated approximation isThis reproduces the specified sign with the declared orientation. It neglects coil self-inductance, requiring $\omega L_{\mathrm{coil}}\ll R$, as implicit in the requested expression.

The nearest side contains N parallel current segments and is at a uniform distance $s$, so its force magnitude isThe two sides perpendicular to the wire have opposite currents and equal magnetic fields at corresponding distances; their forces cancel pairwise. The far side opposes the near-side force and has the smaller field. ThusWhen $I$ and $i$ have the same sign under the chosen conventions, the near-side coil current opposes the straight-wire current and the total force is away from the wire; otherwise it is toward it. In particular the signed force alternates with $\sin (\omega t)\cos (\omega t)$. The coil is fixed, so these forces do no mechanical work on it. The mean Joule heating is