This magnetic force between wires calculator takes the figures you already have and applies the relationship behind magnetic force between wires calculations for you, giving force from current in first wire, current in second wire and distance between wires.
What Is the Magnetic Force Between Wires Calculator?
This magnetic force between wires calculator is for the kind of problem where you know the physical quantities but not the number you need. It turns current in first wire, current in second wire and distance between wires into force.
Physics calculations go wrong in predictable ways, usually through mixing units or dropping a digit. Work through the result one step at a time and check that the figures are the size you would expect at each stage.
How the Magnetic Force Between Wires Physics Works
The relationship is applied step by step, and each step is a standard piece of physics rather than a single opaque formula. That means you can check the intermediate values against what the theory predicts, which is usually faster than checking only the final answer.
Keep every value in the same unit system throughout the calculation. Mixing metres and feet part way through is the single most common reason a correct formula gives a wrong answer.
Units, Assumptions and the Limits of the Model
The calculation assumes ideal conditions: no air resistance, no heat loss, and dimensions that do not change while you work. Those assumptions are reasonable for most classroom and engineering estimates, and unreasonable for anything more precise.
Where a value is a rate, it has to be quoted for the same period as everything else. A per-hour figure cannot be combined with a per-day figure without converting one of them first.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with current in first wire set to 24, current in second wire set to 12, distance between wires set to 6, the calculator returns force of 0.00001. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out force?
Enter current in first wire, current in second wire and distance between wires. The calculator then works through the relationship and reports force.
What does the magnetic force between wires actually calculate?
It takes current in first wire, current in second wire and distance between wires and converts them into force using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter current in first wire?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Does anything you type get stored?
No. The whole calculation runs inside your browser, and nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or sent anywhere.
Is the answer exact?
It is as exact as the formula and the inputs allow. The method itself is the standard one for this problem, so the only sources of error are the figures you enter and the precision you ask for.