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Magnetic Field at Right Angle Vertex of Triangular Wire Loop

A steady current II goes through a wire loop PQR having shape of a right angle triangle with PQ=3x\text{PQ} = 3x, PR=4x\text{PR} = 4x and QR=5x\text{QR} = 5x. If the magnitude of the magnetic field at P due to this loop is k(μ0I48πx)k\left(\frac{\mu_0 I}{48\pi x}\right), find the value of kk.

Official Numerical Answer7

Step-by-Step Solution

To find the magnitude of the magnetic field at point P\text{P} due to the triangular wire loop PQR\text{PQR}, we consider the contribution from each of the three straight segments: PQ\text{PQ}, PR\text{PR}, and QR\text{QR}.

  1. Contribution from segments PQ\text{PQ} and PR\text{PR}:
    According to the Biot-Savart Law, the magnetic field produced by a straight current-carrying wire at any point lying along the line of the wire is zero. Since point P\text{P} lies on the line passing through segment PQ\text{PQ} and also on the line passing through segment PR\text{PR}, the magnetic fields at P\text{P} due to these segments are:
    BPQ=0B_{\text{PQ}} = 0
    BPR=0B_{\text{PR}} = 0

  2. Contribution from segment QR\text{QR}:
    The triangle PQR\text{PQR} is a right-angled triangle at P\text{P} because:
    PQ2+PR2=(3x)2+(4x)2=25x2=(5x)2=QR2\text{PQ}^2 + \text{PR}^2 = (3x)^2 + (4x)^2 = 25x^2 = (5x)^2 = \text{QR}^2

Let dd be the perpendicular distance from vertex P\text{P} to the hypotenuse QR\text{QR}.
The area of △PQR\triangle \text{PQR} can be written in two ways:
Area=12×PQ×PR=12×(3x)×(4x)=6x2\text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{PQ} \times \text{PR} = \frac{1}{2} \times (3x) \times (4x) = 6x^2
Area=12×QR×d=12×(5x)×d\text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{QR} \times d = \frac{1}{2} \times (5x) \times d

Equating the two expressions for area:
5x2d=6x2  ⟹  d=12x5\frac{5x}{2} d = 6x^2 \implies d = \frac{12x}{5}

Let H\text{H} be the foot of the perpendicular from P\text{P} onto QR\text{QR}. Let θ1\theta_1 and θ2\theta_2 be the angles subtended by the segments HQ\text{HQ} and HR\text{HR} at P\text{P}, respectively:
θ1=∠HPQandθ2=∠HPR\theta_1 = \angle \text{HPQ} \quad \text{and} \quad \theta_2 = \angle \text{HPR}

In the right-angled triangle PHQ\text{PHQ}:
sin⁡θ1=cos⁡(∠PQH)=PQQR=3x5x=35\sin \theta_1 = \cos(\angle \text{PQH}) = \frac{\text{PQ}}{\text{QR}} = \frac{3x}{5x} = \frac{3}{5}

In the right-angled triangle PHR\text{PHR}:
sin⁡θ2=cos⁡(∠PRH)=PRQR=4x5x=45\sin \theta_2 = \cos(\angle \text{PRH}) = \frac{\text{PR}}{\text{QR}} = \frac{4x}{5x} = \frac{4}{5}

The magnetic field at P\text{P} due to the segment QR\text{QR} is given by:
B=μ0I4πd(sin⁡θ1+sin⁡θ2)B = \frac{\mu_0 I}{4\pi d} (\sin \theta_1 + \sin \theta_2)

Substituting the values of dd, sin⁡θ1\sin \theta_1, and sin⁡θ2\sin \theta_2:
B=μ0I4π(12x5)(35+45)B = \frac{\mu_0 I}{4\pi \left(\frac{12x}{5}\right)} \left(\frac{3}{5} + \frac{4}{5}\right)
B=5μ0I48πx(75)=7(μ0I48πx)B = \frac{5\mu_0 I}{48\pi x} \left(\frac{7}{5}\right) = 7\left(\frac{\mu_0 I}{48\pi x}\right)

Comparing this result with the given expression B=k(μ0I48πx)B = k\left(\frac{\mu_0 I}{48\pi x}\right), we find:
k=7k = 7