---
title: "Two long, straight, parallel wires are separated by a distance \\(2d\\). Wire 1 carries a current \\(I\\) out of the page, and Wire 2 carries an equal current \\(I\\) into the page. Three points, \\(X\\), \\(Y\\), and \\(Z\\), lie along a horizontal line perpendicular to both wires: point \\(X\\) is located at the midpoint between the wires, point \\(Y\\) is located a distance \\(0.5d\\) to the right of Wire 1 (between the wires), and point \\(Z\\) is located a distance \\(d\\) to the right of Wire 2. Which of the following correctly ranks the magnitudes \\(B_X\\), \\(B_Y\\), and \\(B_Z\\) of the net magnetic field at points \\(X\\), \\(Y\\), and \\(Z\\)?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/117496/"
date_modified: "2026-08-04T06:52:22+00:00"
---

# Two long, straight, parallel wires are separated by a distance \(2d\). Wire 1 carries a current \(I\) out of the page, and Wire 2 carries an equal current \(I\) into the page. Three points, \(X\), \(Y\), and \(Z\), lie along a horizontal line perpendicular to both wires: point \(X\) is located at the midpoint between the wires, point \(Y\) is located a distance \(0.5d\) to the right of Wire 1 (between the wires), and point \(Z\) is located a distance \(d\) to the right of Wire 2. Which of the following correctly ranks the magnitudes \(B_X\), \(B_Y\), and \(B_Z\) of the net magnetic field at points \(X\), \(Y\), and \(Z\)?

Two long, straight, parallel wires are separated by a distance \(2d\). Wire 1 carries a current \(I\) out of the page, and Wire 2 carries an equal current \(I\) into the page. Three points, \(X\), \(Y\), and \(Z\), lie along a horizontal line perpendicular to both wires: point \(X\) is located at the midpoint between the wires, point \(Y\) is located a distance \(0.5d\) to the right of Wire 1 (between the wires), and point \(Z\) is located a distance \(d\) to the right of Wire 2. Which of the following correctly ranks the magnitudes \(B_X\), \(B_Y\), and \(B_Z\) of the net magnetic field at points \(X\), \(Y\), and \(Z\)?

![Cross-sectional view of two long straight parallel wires perpendicular to the page. Wire 1 on the left is drawn as a circle containing a dot labeled I pointing out of the page. Wire 2 on the right is drawn as a circle containing an X labeled I pointing into the page. The distance between Wire 1 and Wire 2 is labeled 2d. A horizontal axis line connects both wires and extends to the left and right. Point X is marked on the line midway between Wire 1 and Wire 2 at distance d from each wire. Point Y is marked on the line between Wire 1 and Wire 2 at distance 0.5d to the right of Wire 1. Point Z is marked on the line at distance d to the right of Wire 2. No other labels, lines, text, or axes appear.](https://nerd-notes.com/wp-content/uploads/ubq-frq-generated/stem-fig-1-1785826342-uxevjW.jpg)

- **A.** \(B_X > B_Y > B_Z\)
- **B.** \(B_Z > B_X > B_Y\)
- **C.** \(B_Y > B_X > B_Z\)
- **D.** \(B_X > B_Z > B_Y\)

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/117496/*