Do two perpendicular wires exert a force on each other?

[Zack K]

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 the wire.

Does the straight wire exert a force on the parts of the rectangular wire perpendicular to it?

 

[ZapperZ]

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 the wire.

Does the straight wire exert a force on the parts of the rectangular wire perpendicular to it?

You should know by now how this forum works. You have to offer what you know and what you have already attempted.

Assuming that you know how to take the cross product of vectors, and you know how that applies to this situation, do that for each segment of the wire. The segments in question should have a force acting on each part, but look at the direction of the force acting on the opposite ends of the rectangle.

Zz

 

[Zack K]

You should know by now how this forum works. You have to offer what you know and what you have already attempted.

Assuming that you know how to take the cross product of vectors, and you know how that applies to this situation, do that for each segment of the wire. The segments in question should have a force acting on each part, but look at the direction of the force acting on the opposite ends of the rectangle.

Zz

Right I see, since you have $F_m=I\Delta l \times B$, it will be 0.