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Model ID: 131

Forces on Parallel Current-Carrying Wires

One ampere is defined as the constant current in two straight parallel conductors of infinite length and negligible circular cross section, placed one meter apart in vacuum, that produces a force of 2*10^-7 Newton per meter of length.

This model shows a setup of two parallel wires in the spirit of this definition, but with the difference that the wires do not have a negligible cross section. However, by successively shrinking the radius of the wires, one can get the force to approach 2*10^-7 Newton per meter of length.

Volume force density (surface) and stress tensor (arrows).

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