A) Upward
In order to find the direction of the magnetic force on the wire, we can use the right-hand rule: the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb of the right hand must be placed all of them perpendicular to each other.
So we have:
- Index finger: direction of current in the wire (from west to east)
- Middle finger: direction of magnetic field (from south to north)
- Thumb: direction of the force --> so it will be upward
So, the force will point upward.
B) [tex]1.82\cdot 10^{-4}N[/tex]
The magnitude of the force exerted by the magnetic field on the wire is given by
[tex]F=ILB[/tex]
where
I = 1.50 A is the current in the wire
L = 2.20 m is the length of the wire
[tex]B=0.550 G = 0.55 \cdot 10^{-4}T[/tex]
Substituting into the equation, we find
[tex]F=(1.50 A)(2.20 m)(0.55 \cdot 10^{-4} T)=1.82\cdot 10^{-4}N[/tex]
