Numerical answer
A closed wire loop consists of two concentric semicircular arcs of radii and having the common centre , joined by two straight radial segments lying along the diameter through . A current of flows round the loop. A proton moving at passes through in the plane of the loop. Using and , the magnitude of the magnetic force on the proton at is . Find (give the answer correct to two decimal places).
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Answer: 5.03
The radial straight segments pass through (their lines contain ), so they contribute no field there. Each semicircular arc of radius gives . Going round the loop, the current traverses the two arcs in opposite senses (one clockwise, the other anticlockwise), so their fields at are opposite: . The field at is normal to the plane of the loop, while the proton moves in that plane, so and the force is N. Hence . Treating both arcs as adding would give and a force three times larger.
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