Calculate Angle & Torque for Square Coil in Vertical Magnetic Field

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a square coil made from a long piece of wire, placed in a vertical magnetic field. The coil's mass, dimensions, current, and magnetic field strength are provided, with the goal of determining the angle of equilibrium and the torque acting on the coil.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to relate the forces acting on the coil using the equation mg = F = BILcos phi, questioning the appropriate length to use for L. Some participants question the consideration of multiple turns of the wire in relation to torque.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring the implications of the coil's construction on the calculations. There are indications of differing interpretations regarding the relevance of the number of turns to the torque calculation.

Contextual Notes

Participants are discussing the setup and assumptions, particularly regarding the total length of wire and its impact on the calculations for torque and angle. The original poster expresses uncertainty about the correct application of the formula.

Pseudo Statistic
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A long piece of wire with a mass of 0.1kg and a total length of 4m is used to make a square coil with a side of 0.1m. The coil is hinged along a horizontal side, carries a 3.4A current, and is placed in a vertical magnetic field with a magnitude of 0.01T.
a) Determine the angle that the plane of the coil makes with the vertical when the coil is in equilibrium.

For this part I was thinking, mg = F = BILcos phi, where phi is the angle with respect to the vertical...
phi = arccos (mg/BIL)
Now, I thought, "Which L can I use?" and I couldn't find the answer using different values.. can anyone please show me where I went wrong?

b) Find the torque acting on t he coil due to the magnetic force at equilibrium.
I'm guessing a) will give me what I need for this part.

The answers are:
a) 3.97deg
b) 3.39 x 10^-3 Nm

Thanks for any pointers!
 
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Did you account for multiple turns of the wire? (total length is 4 meters but the perimeter of the square is only 0.4 meters)
 
Isn't that only relevant to the torque?
 
The current runs through each loop and the total current interacts with the applied field.
 

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