What is Wire: Definition and 1000 Discussions

A wire is a single usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads or electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Wire gauges come in various standard sizes, as expressed in terms of a gauge number. The term 'wire' is also used more loosely to refer to a bundle of such strands, as in "multistranded wire", which is more correctly termed a wire rope in mechanics, or a cable in electricity.
Wire comes in solid core, stranded, or braided forms. Although usually circular in cross-section, wire can be made in square, hexagonal, flattened rectangular, or other cross-sections, either for decorative purposes, or for technical purposes such as high-efficiency voice coils in loudspeakers. Edge-wound coil springs, such as the Slinky toy, are made of special flattened wire.

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  1. I

    Does Wire Length Affect Resistivity in Electrical Conductors?

    L=Ra/P =6x0.0006/5x10^-8 =72000
  2. hilton

    Find Serret-Frenet Triad for Curve y = f(x): Solve Diff. Eq. -U`(s)

    For the case first case U=x^2/2 : 1) Find the Serret-Frenet Triad for a any curve y = f(x): For a curve on a plane, the Triad could be find in this way: 2) The vector force resultant acting in the bead could be discribed in this way: 3) The vector force acting in the bead could be discribed...
  3. K

    Strength of magnetic field at the end of a wire wrapped nail.

    V=I*R 6v=I*(0.6+0.9)ohms I=4amp B=100*(uo)(2N)(I)/L * 1/2 I think since the wire is double wrapped, we multiply the equation by 2, but since we are looking for the magnetic field at the end of the wire we also have to multiply the equation by 1/2 I=4A, uo= 4pi*10^-7 2N/L turns per unit...
  4. Z

    [Work check] Parametric frictionless wire

    for my formatting, (dot) implies a single time derivative with respect to the variable Kinetic Energy = T = (1/2) m (x(dot)2 +y(dot)2 + z(dot)2 Plug in respective values for x y and z -> T= (1/2) m (a2 α2sin2(αλ) λ(dot) +a2 α2cos2(αλ) λ(dot) + b2λ(dot) After canceling out Sin and cos ->...
  5. N

    Magnetic force on a wire due to a loop

    I just need to confirm my intuition that the magnetic force on the wire carrying I2 is 0. Basis for my intuition: * Right above the center of the loop carrying I1, the magnetic field lines are in exactly the same direction as the piece of wire carrying I2, so [a] x [B1] = 0. (photo from...
  6. themountain

    Finding the Force on a Current-Carrying Wire

    I realize that I need to use F=ILBsin on the problem but don't understand if I should compile the information of all of wires into one equation or if I should do the formula 3 separate times and then use some other method to get the answer.
  7. AnkitM

    Electrical Build an electromagnet which can lift up to 3 kg from 26 gauge copper wire

    Hey guys I want to build electromagnet which can lift up to 3 kg from 26 gauge copper wire, 12V battery (bike), so how many turns should I do and what will be length and radius of the solenoid?
  8. J

    I How to derive the energy of a parabolic confining potential in a wire

    Hi all, How to derive the energy of a parabolic confining potential in a wire as shown below? I tried to follow the derivation of the harmonic, oscillator like we did for the quantum well and the magnetic field but i can't find anything that has an expression that come close to the one shown...
  9. A

    AC Electricity Generation and Transmission over a Single Wire?

    I'm a bit confused as to why can't you transmit AC current over a single wire. For instance, say you have an AC generator which induces potential difference at different points of the wire and thus, creating current. Downstream, the wire can be split and applied to a load. When the wire is...
  10. K

    Square wire in a cylindrical magnetic field

    For if the axis of symmetry is oriented along the y-axis I have gotten as far as converting the main integral entirely to cartesian coordinates. $$\hat{\phi}=-sin(\phi)\hat{x}+cos(\phi)\hat{y} \therefore \hat{\phi} =-sin(tan^{-1}(x/y))\hat{x}+cos(tan^{-1}(x/y))\hat{y}$$...
  11. Zack K

    I Do two perpendicular wires exert a force on each other?

    I have a question for my E&M assignment (I'm not putting it in the homework thread since I just need more of a concept check) that involves a straight wire with current through it. If you have a wire with a current through it, and you have a rectangular wire also with current, to the right of...
  12. P

    Unbalanced 3 phase power - what happens without a neutral wire?

    Hi I've recently started learning about electrical three phase theory, and therefore got some questions. Imagine the following: Countries like Albania, Norway ++, have IT earthing configuration in their distribution grids, i.e. the neutral point is not solidly grounded, however "grounded"...
  13. H

    The work of magnetic force on the wire

    When the two current carrying wires (with identical current directions) attract each other, it seems that the magnetic field of wires do work while we know that magnetic force is perpendicular to the velocity of charge. I would like to know whether the the two wires get closer or not? What about...
  14. A

    Shielding a wire from magnetic flux

    Assume such a situation, if I have a wire and some part of that wire passes through a hole in the core of an inductor or transformer or any other high magnetic field environment , are there ways to shield the wire, the part that intersects with the B field in order to prevent the field from...
  15. Mason Smith

    Solving for the tangential force for a bead on a wire

    Homework Statement Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I am pretty sure that I solved part a correctly. However, I feel as though my solutions for parts b and c are not quite correct because they seem simple. For instance, my solution for part b argues that the tangential force is...
  16. Benjamin Sorensen

    Calculating the Power Dissipation of a Wire

    I'm having trouble verifying an experiment I ran to determine the power dissipation of a heating element. 13.15W of power was applied to 3ft nichrome wire. Temperature readings were collected until they stabilized at 128.5F (room temp was 70F). I want to create a mathematical model of the system...
  17. C

    Service drop wire running to my house and EM fields?

    Hi, I have a case of elevated AC Magnetic field in the house, strongest nearest the electric meter and along the service drop line connecting the house to the street power lines. Should that service drop line measure no current or fields when I shut off my main circuit breaker? it seems shutting...
  18. J

    Batteries and the electric field inside a wire

    I have a question what does create a electric filed inside coducting wire? And is it the same field trought the whole wire? Thanx for answers.
  19. OmarbinNaeem

    B EMF Induction in a Loop of Wire - Does It Work?

    an emf can be induced in a coil if the magnetic flux through the coil is changed my question is does all magnetic field induces an emf in a loop of wire?
  20. li dan

    I Stress problem between superconductor and wire

    In superconducting state, If the superconductor and the guide line are stationary, will the force between the the guide line and the superconductor change when they are close to or far away from the magnet?
  21. CptXray

    Thin wire alternating exerts force on a nearby charge

    Homework Statement There's a thin, straight, infinite wire conducting alternating current: $$I(t) = I_{0}\exp(-\kappa t^2),$$ where ##\kappa > 0##. Calculate the force exerted on point charge ##q## that is located in distance ##\rho## from the wire. Consider relativistic effects. Homework...
  22. Zack K

    Change in the Electric Field Due to a Copper Wire Being Inserted

    Homework Statement A point charge of 6 × 10−9 C is located at the origin. The magnitude magnitude at ##\langle 0.6,0,0\rangle## m is 150 N/C Next, a short, straight, thin copper wire 5 mm long is placed along the x axis with its center at location ##\langle 0.3,0,0 \rangle## m. What is the...
  23. PainterGuy

    B Do the fields extend to infinity in a solenoid and for a wire?

    Hi, I wanted to clarify a point about the magnetic fields of a solenoid and wire. Do the fields extend to infinity? In my opinion, they don't but they can assuming the current also goes to infinity. They don't extend to infinity for a limited amount of current because they need to follow a...
  24. A

    Solving Exercise: Find Thickness of Rubber Insulation for Copper Wire

    Good day all, I tried to solve the following exercise, I would be glad to get feedback for my attempt ( indeed I was puzzled by the numerical solution I got just need to check it for any mistake: A copper wire , 2mm in diameter and 100 m in length has an electrical resistance of 0,5 mΩ/m, the...
  25. Abdullah Wahid

    Electricity and electrons in the wire

    If electrons move as current flows through a conductor, what happens when a wire is grounded? Do electrons flow in the ground?? If they do, will it effect the number of electrons in the circuit which starts from power plant such as dam and comes to our homes through a grid station? Will it not...
  26. person123

    Thermal Expansion of a Wire Connected To a Rod

    Homework Statement Homework Equations ΔL=LαΔT σ=EΔL/L The Attempt at a Solution For part a, I used the coefficient of linear expansion for copper and the change in temperature to find the change in length (0.068%). I thought part b had the same answer. The two are attached, and I would...
  27. T

    Three Charges Aligned on a Straight Wire

    Three charges are aligned along a straight wire as show. +C ?<--- -3/2 C --->? -C + q1 -3/2 q3 - q2 X----------------------------o-----------------------------X P(midpoint) |----------------------------...
  28. TechTree

    Questions about data wire shielding

    Hello, I've been splicing a HDMI cable which has 19 wires in total I've soldered all the data cables apart from the 5 shielding wires. I'm a little confused because as far as I know the wire shielding is meant to act as a faraday cadge to stop interference. But when I don't connect the shielding...
  29. cookiemnstr510510

    Force needed to move a conducting bar on a wire U-loop in a magnetic field

    Homework Statement Hello all, not really sure what to title this. Heres the question: Ceicil sets a trap. According to ceicil, all she has to do is somehow attach a conductive bar with resistance 1Ω to the turkey and then get it to walk along a wire loop in a region of 100T magnetic field (as...
  30. S

    Minimum Wire Length Calculation for Square Pattern in 10cm Square

    Homework Statement A wire pattern is inserted into a ##10##cm square by making a horizontal line in the middle of the square (not all the way across and with length ##x##) and connecting the ends of this line to the closest two corners. What is the minimum value of ##x##? Homework EquationsThe...
  31. P

    Wire surrounded by a linear dielectric in a uniform E field

    Homework Statement We have an uncharged, conducting wire with radius a. We surround it by a linear dielectric material, εr, which goes out to radius b. We place this in an external electric field, Eo. Homework Equations We have electric potential inside (a < s < b) Vinbetween=Acosφ +...
  32. DJ_Juggernaut

    I Is current in a wire frame-specific?

    There is current flowing in a wire. An observer at rest with respect to current, says there is a magnetic field (B) around wire, due to current, I. [Biot-Savart law]. Now switch to someone moving at the speed of current. The current appears stationary to this someone. Therefore this someone...
  33. Kevin J

    B How do you make neutral wire 'neutral'?

    At first I always imagine that there were 2 live wires connected to a source and a load, and one of them is connected to the ground via an additional wire, but apparently people said this is wrong, because it would just blow the fuse, as you are 'short circuit' - ing the connection. Is this true?
  34. Kevin J

    B Is it dangerous to touch neutral wire?

    If I touch the neutral wire while the circuit is still connected, will I get the same electrical shock as if I touch the live wire?
  35. Krushnaraj Pandya

    Field dependence on the potential in a wire

    Homework Statement Does a point in a wire having higher potential necessarily mean that it has a higher electric field? For example consider the cases of question 27 and 31 in the picture attached below. Homework Equations E=V/L The Attempt at a Solution The potential at a and b is the same...
  36. Aishikdesto

    Nature of charge at the junction of a composite wire

    Homework Statement Please help me answer thew question in the image.[/B] Homework Equations Current Density J=conductivity X Electric field[/B] The Attempt at a Solution As the current density depends on the conductivity of the material through which the electrons constitutuing it are...
  37. cookiemnstr510510

    Square copper wire loop within a magnetic field

    Homework Statement In the figures below, a copper wire of circular cross section, A, has been bent into a square loop of side length, c, and arc welded at the seam for electrical continuity. Assume that the resulting square loop has a resistance, R, and a mass, M. The loop is originally held...
  38. Kevin J

    What is the resistance of a wire if its diameter is doubled?

    This was a MCQ question on one of my Cambridge IGCSE Exams, the answer key said that the resistance would decrease by 16 folds (1/16 less then the previous one), I don't know how they got 16 from? (Apparently, I answered 1/4 and it was wrong)
  39. cookiemnstr510510

    Forces of a straight wire on a semi-circular wire loop (Magnetism)

    Homework Statement An ideal, infinitely long straight wire carries a current I1 and is partially surrounded by a loop of current as shown below (image attached). The loop has length L, parallel to the infinitely long wire. The loop carries current I2. A) Calculate the magnitude and direction of...
  40. CDL

    Einstein Velocity Addition for a Moving Charge in a Wire

    Homework Statement I am reading through Griffiths' Electrodynamics, and I have come to the scenario in the Relativity chapter where in an inertial reference frame ##S##, we have a wire, with positive charges (linear density ##\lambda##) moving to the right at speed ##v##, and negative charges...
  41. Celso

    Magnetic field due to a straight wire

    Can someone help me to understand some of these steps? Why can we write ##\frac{1}{R} = \frac{sin(\phi)}{R}## and ##y = - cot(g\phi)##?
  42. H

    The resistance of a wire without a voltage bias

    When a bias is applied to a wire, due to the resistance of a wire, the electrons colliding with the atoms make the wire warmer. However, we know that without any bias the electrons also move with very large velocity (of the order 10^5 m/s). How about the collision of these rapid electrons with...
  43. kolleamm

    Electromagnets, is thinner wire better? Quantity?

    Let's assume you have two electromagnets. One has wire with a 1mm diameter and the other has half that diameter 0.5mm. Assuming they both have the same mass of wire which would be stronger or better? Also if my goal was to attract an object, would it make more sense to have two thinner...
  44. K

    Understanding Resistance: Exploring the Limits of Wire and Hose Capacity

    If you have wire that has 100 ampere current but your load is only 0.5 ampere.. how come the load won't be destroyed by the powerful 100 ampere source? Or let's take the case of hose. If you have water running so fast inside a 10 inches diameter hose.. and you put a small hose between it.. the...
  45. TechTree

    Waterproofing wire connection?

    Hello, I'm trying to find the best way to waterproof a wire connection. As you can see in the image I've got three wires connected together with a bit of electrical tape in place. I can't fit a standard junction box because the wires are soldered together. Is there anything I could use that...
  46. K

    Burnt wire - How to investigate the cause?

    On my laptop the power plug that goes to the mains is US type (3 Pin B). My country uses Type D socket at the mains. The charger is universal 110/230V 60/50 Hz I opted for both options. A. I bought a simple converter whose female end plugs into US type and Male end plugs into Socket D. So I...
  47. Pushoam

    What happens to waves with different polarizations in a wire grid polarizer?

    It is said that the wave whose polarization is parallel to the wire, gets absorbed by the wire. But, there is empty space between the wires. So, that part of the above - said wave which passes through the empty space will not get absorbed by the wire. So, the transmitted wave must have the wave...
  48. K

    The speed of a metal wire on two rails with a magnetic field

    Homework Statement I tried to understand the problem b) and c).[/B] Homework Equations Faraday's law: ∇xE = - ∂B/∂t emf ε = Bdv Force : F =ma, Lorenz's force F=q(vxB) ==> ma = IdB Power : power of battery = εI, mechanical power of the wire = Fv The Attempt at a Solution I think I solved...
  49. V

    Magnetic field due to a straight wire and circular arc

    Homework Statement Find the magnitude of the magnetic induction B of a magnetic field generated by a system of thin conductors along which a current i is flowing at a point A(O,R,O), that is the center of a circular conductor of radius R. The ring is in the yz plane. Homework Equations [/B]...
  50. Pushoam

    Solving the Rotating Wire Problem

    Homework Statement A circular wire hoop rotates with constant angular velocity ! about a vertical diameter. A small bead moves, without friction, along the hoop. Find the equilibrium position of the particle and calculate the frequency of small oscillations about this position. Homework...
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