PSI AP Physics C – Sources of Magnetic Field

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Two protons move parallel to x- axis in opposite directions at the same speed v. What is the
direction of the magnetic force on the upper proton?
(A) to the right (B) to the left (C) out of the page
(D) into the page (E) to the top of the page

2. A positive charge q moves at a constant speed v in the direction presented by the above
diagram. What is the direction of the magnetic field due to the moving charge at point P?
(A) to the right (B) to the left (C) out of the page
(D) into the page (E) to the top of the page

3. A negative charge q moves at a constant speed v in the direction presented by the above
diagram. What is the direction of the magnetic field due to the moving charge at point P?
(A) to the right (B) to the left (C) out of the page
(D) into the page (E) to the bottom of the page
4. A positive charge q moves at a constant speed v parallel to the x-axis. At which of the following
points is the magnetic field strongest in magnitude?
(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D (E) E

5. Two positive charges of equal magnitude move in a reference frame shown on the above
diagram. What is the direction of the net magnetic field at the origin?
(A) into the page (B) out of the page (C) to the left
(D) to the right (E) zero

6. Two opposite charges of equal magnitude move in a reference frame shown on the diagram.
What is the direction of the net magnetic field at the origin?
(A) into the page (B) out of the page (C) to the left
(D) to the right (E) zero
7. A long, straight wire, shown above, carries an electric current I. What is the direction of the
magnetic field at point P?
(A) into the page (B) out of the page (C) to the right
(D) to the left (E) to the top of the page

8. A long, straight wire carries an electric current I directed into the page. If B0 is the magnitude of
magnetic field due the current at point A, what is the magnitude of the field at point B?
𝐵0 𝐵0
(A) 2𝐵0 (B) 4𝐵0 (C) 𝐵0 (D) (E)
2 4

9. Two long, straight wires carry equal currents directed into the page. What is the direction of the
magnetic field at the midpoint between the wires?
(A) into the page (B) out of the page (C) to the top of the page
(D) to the bottom of the page (E) zero
10. Two long, straight wires carry equal currents directed into the page. The wires are placed at two
corners of an equilateral triangle. Which of the following is the correct direction of the net
magnetic field at point P?

(A) (B) (C)

(D) (E)

11. Two long, straight wires carry equal, but opposite, currents perpendicular to the page as shown
above. The wires are placed at two corners of an equilateral triangle. Which of the following is
the correct direction of the net magnetic field at point P?

(B) (B) (C)

(D) (E)
12. Two long, straight wires carry equal but opposite currents perpendicular to the page as shown
above. If B0 is the magnitude of the magnetic field due to each current at distance r from the
wire, what is the net magnetic field at point P due to the two currents in terms of B0?
𝐵0 𝐵0 5𝐵0 𝐵0 7𝐵0
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
6 5 6 3 6

13. Two long, straight wires carry equal currents perpendicular to the page as shown above. If B0 is
the magnitude of the magnetic field due to each current at distance r from the wire, what is the
net magnetic field at point P due to two currents in terms of B0?
𝐵0 𝐵0 5𝐵0 𝐵0 7𝐵0
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
6 5 6 3 6

14. Two long, straight wires carry equal currents perpendicular to the page. There is an attractive
magnetic force between the wires of magnitude F0. What is the new force between the wires if
the magnitude of each current is doubled?
𝐹0 𝐹0
(A) 2𝐹0 (B) 3𝐹0 (C) 4𝐹0 (D) (E)
2 4

15. Two long, straight wires carry equal currents perpendicular to the page. There is an attractive
magnetic force between the wires of magnitude F0. What is the new force between the wires if
the distance between the wires is doubled?
𝐹0 𝐹0
(B) 2𝐹0 (B) 3𝐹0 (C) 4𝐹0 (D) (E)
2 4
16. Three parallel wires are each carrying a current I in the direction shown on the diagram. What is
the direction of the net magnetic force on the bottom wire?
(A) out of the page (B) into the page (C) to the top of the page
(D) to the bottom of the page (E) zero

17. Two circular loops of wire each carry a current I. Loop A has twice the radius of loop B. What is
the ratio of the magnetic field at the center of loop A to that of loop B?
2 4 1 1 1
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
1 1 1 2 4
18. A circular conductor carries an electric current I. The loop is placed in the x-y-z reference frame
in such way that the center of the loop is at the origin. The plane of the loop is parallel to the y-z
axes and perpendicular to the x-axis. Which one of the following graphs represents the magnetic
field strength along the x-axis?
(A) (B)

(C) (D)

(E)
19. An electric current I passes through a wire with a semicircular section of radius a. What is the
magnitude of the magnetic field at point P?
𝜇 𝐼 𝜇 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼 3𝜇0 𝐼 5𝜇0 𝐼
(A) 0 (B) 0 (C) (D) (E)
4𝑎 2𝑎 𝑎 4𝑎 4𝑎

20. What is the magnitude of the magnetic field at point P due to two equal currents passing in the
same direction through semicircular loops with one common center?
𝜇 𝐼 𝜇 𝐼 𝜇 𝐼 3𝜇0 𝐼
(A) 0 (B) 0 (C) 𝑎0 (D) (E) zero
4𝑎 2𝑎 4𝑎

21. What is the magnitude of the magnetic field at point P due to two equal currents passing in
opposite directions through semicircular loops with one common center?
𝜇 𝐼 𝜇 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼 3𝜇0 𝐼
(A) 0 (B) 0 (C) (D) (E) zero
4𝑎 2𝑎 𝑎 4𝑎
22. What is the magnitude of the magnetic field at point P due to the electric current I passing
through a wire that curves into two semicircular loops as shown above?
𝜇 𝐼 𝜇 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼 3𝜇0 𝐼
(A) 0 (B) 0 (C) (D) (E) zero
4𝑎 2𝑎 8𝑎 4𝑎

23. A uniform magnetic field B is created by the electric current flowing through a long solenoid.
What is the magnitude of the magnetic field inside the solenoid with the same current and twice
the radius?
𝐵 𝐵
(A) 𝐵 (B) 2𝐵 (C) 3𝐵 (D) (E)
2 4

24. A cylindrical conductor with a radius a carries an electric current I. The current is uniformly
distributed over the cross-sectional arear of the cylinder. What is the magnetic field B in the
region r<a?
𝜇0 𝐼 𝜇 𝐼 𝜇 𝐼𝑟 𝜇 𝐼 𝜇 𝐼
(A) 𝜋𝑎 (B) 0 (C) 0 2 (D) 0 (E) 0
8𝜋𝑎 2𝜋𝑎 4𝜋𝑎 2𝜋𝑎
25. A cylindrical conductor with radius a carries an electric current I. The current is uniformly
distributed over the cross-sectional arear of the cylinder. What is the magnetic field B in the
region r>a?

𝜇0 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼𝑟 𝜇0 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼
(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
𝜋𝑎 8𝜋𝑎 2𝜋𝑎2 4𝜋𝑟 2𝜋𝑟

26. A uniform magnetic field B is created by an electric current I flowing through a long solenoid
with n turns per unit length and radius R. What is the magnitude of the magnetic field inside the
solenoid?
𝜇0 𝑛𝐼 𝜇0 𝑛𝐼
(B) 𝜇0 𝑛𝐼𝑅 (B) 𝜇0 𝑛𝐼𝑅 2 (C) (D) (E) 𝜇0 𝑛𝐼
𝑅 𝑅2
27. A cylindrical conductor with radius a carries an electric current I. The current is uniformly
distributed over the cross-sectional area of the cylinder. Which of the following graphs
represents the magnetic field B as a function of distance r, both inside and outside the
conductor?
(A) (B)

(C) (D)

(E)
28. A solid conductor with radius a is surrounded by a tube with an inner radius b and outer
radius c. The conductor and tube carry equal currents in opposite directions (conductor - out of
the page, tube - into the page). An electron e travels to the right in the space between the
conductor and tube at point P. What is the direction of the magnetic force on the electron at
point P?
(A) Into the page (B) out of the page (C) to the bottom of the page
(D) to the top of the page (E) to the left

29. A solid conductor with radius a is surrounded by a tube with an inner radius b and outer
radius c. The conductor and tube carry equal currents in opposite directions (conductor - out of
the page, tube - into the page). What is the magnitude of the magnetic field in the space
between the conductor and tube where a<r<b?
𝜇0 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼𝑟 𝜇0 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼
(A) (B) (C) 2 (D) (E)
𝜋𝑟 2𝜋𝑟 2𝜋𝑎 4𝜋𝑎 16𝜋𝑟
30. A solid conductor with radius a is surrounded by a tube with an inner radius b and outer
radius c. The conductor and tube carry equal currents in opposite directions (conductor - out of
the page, tube - into the page). What is the magnitude of the magnetic field outside the tube
where r>c?
𝜇0 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼 𝜇0 𝐼𝑟 𝜇0 𝐼
(A) (B) (C) 2 (D) (E) zero
𝜋𝑟 2𝜋𝑟 2𝜋𝑎 4𝜋𝑎
Answer Key
1. E 6. B 11. D 16. D 21. B 26. E

2. C 7. A 12. A 17. D 22. C 27. C

3. D 8. E 13. C 18. C 23. A 28. A

4. D 9. E 14. C 19. A 24. C 29. B

5. E 10. A 15. D 20. E 25. E 30.E