This has been plotted against Fig. 2.20). Two solutions corresponding to a high and a low are obtained. We need to find that among the two branches, which one corresponds to local energy minimum..

Figure 2.20. Energy vs distance between the wire loops

For the upper branch, , whereas for the lower branch . The latter corresponds to a situation where the film is spread over a single wire loop. Further, for the film would collapse.

For R = 1,

	globally stable
	high solution is stable
	high solution is metastable
for any	low solution is unstable