AH HOMEWORK : ELECTRICAL PHENOMENA 4 /25

1. A series of poles 60m apart carry a single power cable due North (ie geographical North) 5m
above the ground.
The Earth’s magnetic field in the vicinity is found to dip due North at an angle 300 to the
surface and to be of strength 1.7 x 10-6T.
(a) If a current of electrons in the wire is going North and is 6A find the force acting on the
wire between any two poles. (remember force is a vector) (3)
(b) The current in the wire is now changed. The magnetic field on the ground directly below the
wire due to the current in the wire only is now measured to be 4 x 10-7T. What current is
now flowing in the wire? (3)
B earth

N 5m
300
S

60m

2. Two cables are 3m apart and each carry 1000A DC in the same direction to an aluminium
smelter. What is the force on the first wire due to the current in the second if both wires are
300m long? (3)

3. A conductor is placed in a uniform magnetic field as shown.

magnet
N S

scales

173.40g
3A

(a) When the current in the conductor is switched on and is set to 3.0A the top pan
balance goes from reading 174.0g to reading 173.4g. Ignoring end effects calculate
the magnetic induction of the field. (3)

(b) Which end of the wire was connected to the positive of the supply? (1)
 (c) With the same magnetic induction and the same current the wire is formed into a rectangular
coil of 20 turns of width 4cm and length 10cm as shown. What is the torque on the coil while it
is in this position? (3)

N S
4cm

10 cm

3 A

(d) The coil is allowed to turn. What is the torque on it when it has turned 1/4
revolution? Explain your reasoning.
(2)

4. A long straight conductor carries a current of i1.

(a) A second long straight conductor carrying a bigger current i2 in the same direction, is placed
parallel and close to the first conductor. Sketch in the resultant magnetic field lines for this
arrangement. (2)

(b) When i1 = 6A and i2 = 9A and the separation in air of the conductors is 0.1m calculate the
position in the vicinity of the conductors at which the magnetic field due to the currents in the wires
is zero. (3)

(c) Sketch the magnetic field lines round the wires if i1and i2 were in opposite directions. (2)