A Single Turn, Square Loop (torque)

[DeltaIceman]

Homework Statement

A 0.790 m length of wire is formed into a single-turn, square loop in which there is a current of 12.4 A. The loop is placed in a magnetic field of 0.146 T, as shown in the figure below.

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/5043/cutj2167.gif

Homework Equations

Net torque = NIABsin(theta)

The Attempt at a Solution

Okay so looking at the problem. I see that a wire the length of .790 is bent to for a single-turn square. So I take my length and divide it by 2. Which should be the length of each side of the square now.
Now the area of a square is A = l*w or one of your sides squared. So that would give me an A of .156 m^2.

Now as for N should it not just be 1. Since its a single turn square.

B = .146
I = 12.4
Also since I am looking for the maximum torque it should be a sin(90) correct?

Well anyway when I use this formula I'm not getting the correct answer. So if someone could steer me in the right direction that would be great :).

 

[ehild]

Homework Statement

A 0.790 m length of wire is formed into a single-turn, square loop in which there is a current of 12.4 A.

The Attempt at a Solution

I see that a wire the length of .790 is bent to for a single-turn square. So I take my length and divide it by 2. Which should be the length of each side of the square now.

How many sides does a square have?

ehild

 

[DeltaIceman]

A square has 4 sides. But since its a single loop square doesn't it only have 2 sides?

 

[DeltaIceman]

I mean not that the square in general has 2 sides. I know that's not possible. But I thought that when it said a single turn it meant that the length .709 was the first 2 sides of the square... |_ <- like that if it makes sense. And I just divided the length by 2 to get the length of one side. Anyway that's what I think of when it says single turn.

 

[ehild]

Well, it might have been better to say "single loop" in the problem. You need the area of the loop to get the torque. A single turn "L" shape has no area. ehild