Electric power is transmitted from the generation plant to a municipality via high-voltage power lines such as those connected to the tower in Figure P20.95. Consider a case with towers typically placed at 0.50-km intervals, with three separate lines, spaced 20 m apart and operating at a high voltage (760 kV) with typical maximum currents of 500 A. (a) Find the force on a tower to-tower length of one of the outside wires from the other two. (b) If the wire has a cross sectional area of 200 mm² and an average density of 4000 kg/m³, compare the weight of a section of the wire to the force found in part (a).

Figure P20.95