Force between Two Parallel Currents The force between two parallel currents is an attractive or repulsive force that acts on the charges in the currents. Th...
Force between Two Parallel Currents
The force between two parallel currents is an attractive or repulsive force that acts on the charges in the currents. The force between two parallel currents is directly proportional to the magnitude of the currents and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the currents.
The magnetic force between two parallel currents is given by the formula:
where:
F is the force in newton (N)
I1 and I2 are the currents in amperes (A)
r is the distance between the currents in meters (m)
(\varepsilon_0) is the vacuum permittivity constant ((8.85 \times 10^{-12}) C²)
The Ampere
The ampere is a unit of measure for the electric current. The ammeter reads the amount of current flowing through a conductor. An ammeter is used to measure the total current in a circuit and to ensure that the current is flowing correctly.
Examples
When two parallel wires carrying the same current are close together, they experience an attractive force.
When two wires carrying different currents are close together, they experience a repulsive force.
When two wires carrying the same current are separated by a greater distance, the force between them is weaker.
Applications of the Force between Two Parallel Currents and the Ampere
The force between two parallel currents is used in various applications, including:
Magnetic fields
Electromagnets
Circuits
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)