Magnetic Fields and Maximum Current

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on calculating the maximum current a wire can carry while measuring the Earth's magnetic field at a distance of 0.60 m. The initial calculation using the formula B = (4π*10^-7)I / (2πR) resulted in an excessively high value of 135 A. The error stemmed from misunderstanding the impact of the +/- 1% measurement accuracy on the magnetic field value. By adjusting the magnetic field to account for the 1% variation before recalculating, the correct current value was achieved. This clarification emphasizes the importance of considering measurement tolerances in experimental setups.
Mehta29
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Hey guys I'm new here and needless to say I am completely lost...

well here is the problem...

What is the maximum current that a wire can carry if an experimenter is performing an experiment 0.60 m away that deals with the Earth's magnetic field (4.5*10-5 T), which she wishes to measure to +/- 1 percent?

i thought I could just plug the #'s given into

B = (4pi*10^-7)I / (2(pi)R)

and i ended up with 135 A...which seemed muuuuuuuuch too high...and assumably was wrong...

(4.5*10^-5) = (4pi*10^-7)I / 2(pi)(.6??)

It would be greatly appreciated if i could get this help tonight...but I just want to understand what I'm doing wrong for the most part...
 
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well i found the error of my ways...

the whole +/- 1% threw me off...

i get the right answer if i multiply by the magnetic field by 1% and then re-plug everything in...

hopefully this helps someone in the future...
 

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