Distance dependence in Ampere's force law

Sunfire

Hello,

In the Ampere's force law

F=2k_a[itex]\frac{I_{1}I_{2}}{r}[/itex]

Ampere law,

the force between 2 parallel conductors doesn't seem to depend on the distance between them.

F is given in [N/m], instead of just [N]...

What is the rationale behind this?

Thank you.

Sunfire

Does it stem from the definition of Ampere

Sunfire

Reading some other threads on the subject helps... I see that the force is per unit of cable length, while r on the RHS is the distance betw the 2 cables, okay :)

Sunfire

This is a nice thread on the subject

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=397921