Single correct option
A wire carrying current forms a closed loop made of two circular arcs, each subtending an angle of at the common centre , of radii and , joined by two straight radial segments along lines through . The current flows clockwise in the outer arc and anticlockwise in the inner arc (as seen from one side of the plane of the loop). The magnitude of the magnetic field at is
- A.
- B.
- C.
- D.
Show answer and solution
Answer: (B)
Radial segments pass through , so and they contribute nothing. For a circular arc of radius subtending at its centre, the field at the centre is (from ). Here , so . The inner arc gives and the outer arc gives . Their senses of circulation are opposite (inner anticlockwise, outer clockwise), so the fields at are antiparallel and the net field is . Adding the magnitudes would give , and using only one arc gives or .
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