Question:
A long, straight wire carrying a current of 5 A is placed parallel to a magnetic field of 0.6 T. The wire is 3.5 m long and experiences a force of 7.5 N. Calculate the angle between the wire and the magnetic field.
Answer with Step-by-Step Explanation:
The force experienced by a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field can be calculated using the formula:
Where:
Rearranging the formula to solve for θ: [ θ = sin^{-1}(\frac{F}{I * L * B}) ]
Now, plug in the given values: [ θ = sin^{-1}(\frac{7.5 N}{5 A * 3.5 m * 0.6 T}) ] [ θ = sin^{-1}(0.7143) ]
Using a calculator, we find: [ θ ≈ 46.39° ]
Therefore, the angle between the wire and the magnetic field is approximately 46.39 degrees.
This question assesses the candidate's understanding of calculating the angle between a current-carrying wire and a magnetic field using the force experienced by the wire in the field. It requires the application of trigonometric functions and knowledge of magnetic forces in physics.