Question:medium

A long wire carries a current of 4.00 A. The energy stored in the magnetic field inside the volume of \(1\,\text{mm}^{3}\) at a distance of 10 cm from the wire is given by:

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Get B with the long-wire formula, then energy is (B squared over 2 mu-zero) times the volume.
Updated On: Jul 2, 2026
  • \(2.55\times10^{-14}\,\text{J}\)
  • \(5.10\times10^{-14}\,\text{J}\)
  • \(7.65\times10^{-14}\,\text{J}\)
  • Zero J
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Combine the two formulas into a single expression before plugging numbers. The energy is $U=\dfrac{B^{2}}{2\mu_0}V$ with $B=\dfrac{\mu_0 I}{2\pi r}$, so

\[U=\frac{1}{2\mu_0}\left(\frac{\mu_0 I}{2\pi r}\right)^{2}V=\frac{\mu_0 I^{2}}{8\pi^{2} r^{2}}\,V.\]

Now substitute $\mu_0=4\pi\times10^{-7}$, $I=4.00$ A, $r=0.10$ m, $V=10^{-9}\,\text{m}^{3}$:

\[U=\frac{(4\pi\times10^{-7})(16)}{8\pi^{2}(0.01)}(10^{-9}).\]

The numerator is $2.011\times10^{-5}$ and the denominator is $8\pi^{2}(0.01)=0.7896$, giving $2.546\times10^{-5}\,\text{J/m}^{3}$ for the density. Multiplying by $10^{-9}\,\text{m}^{3}$ gives $U\approx2.55\times10^{-14}\,\text{J}$. The tiny volume ($1\,\text{mm}^{3}$) far from the wire makes the stored energy extremely small, confirming option (A).

\[\boxed{U\approx2.55\times10^{-14}\,\text{J}}\]
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