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Question of 55

Q.Assertion (A): Two infinitely long straight conductors carrying current in the same direction attract each other.
Reason (R): The net magnetic field at a point exactly halfway between two infinitely long straight conductors carrying current in the same direction is zero.

(a) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and reason is the correct explanation
(b) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but the Reason is not the correct explanation
(c) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.
(d) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.
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Both statements are individually correct, but the field being zero at the midpoint is not why the two wires attract each other.

Checking the Assertion: Two infinitely long straight parallel conductors carrying current in the SAME direction do attract each other. Each wire sits in the magnetic field created by the other wire, and using F⃗=IL⃗×B⃗\vec F = I\vec L \times \vec B (or the right-hand/Fleming's left-hand rule), the force on each wire due to the other's field points towards the other wire. So the Assertion is TRUE.

Checking the Reason: Take the two wires along the yy-axis at x=−ax=-a and x=+ax=+a, both carrying current II in the +y+y direction. At the midpoint (origin), using B⃗=μ0I2πrϕ^\vec B = \dfrac{\mu_0 I}{2\pi r}\hat\phi with ϕ^=I^×r^\hat\phi = \hat I \times \hat r: the field due to the left wire points in +y^′+\hat y's perpendicular direction (say +z^+\hat z), while the field due to the right wire (displacement now in −x^-\hat x from that wire) points in the opposite transverse direction (−z^-\hat z). Since both wires are equidistant and carry equal current, these two fields are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction — they cancel exactly. So the net field at the midpoint IS zero when the currents …

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