Sources of the Magnetic Field

Biot-Savart Law – Introduction

 Biot and Savart conducted experiments on
the force exerted by an electric current on a
nearby magnet
 They arrived at a mathematical expression

that gives the magnetic field at some point in

space due to a current
Biot-Savart Law – Set-Up

 The magnetic field is dB
at some point P Please
replace with
 The
 length element is fig. 30.1
ds
 The wire is carrying a
steady current of I
Biot-Savart Law –
Observations
 
 The vector dB is perpendicular to both ds and

to the unit vector r̂ directed
 from ds toward P
 The magnitude of dB is inversely proportional

to r2, where r is the distance from ds to P
Biot-Savart Law –
Observations, cont

 The magnitude of dB is proportional to the

current and to the magnitude ds of the length

element ds

 The magnitude of dB is proportional to sin 

where  is the angle between the vectors ds
and r̂
Biot-Savart Law – Equation
 The observations are summarized in the
mathematical equation called the Biot-Savart
law:
 μ I ds ˆr
dB  o
4π r 2
 The magnetic field described by the law is
the field due to the current-carrying conductor
 Don’t confuse this field with a field external to the
conductor
Permeability of Free Space
 The constant o is called the permeability of
free space
  = 4 x 10-7 T. m / A
o
Total Magnetic Field

 dB is the field created by the current in the

length segment ds
 To find the total field, sum up the 
contributions from all the current elements I ds
 μ I ds ˆr
B o  2
4π r
 The integral is over the entire current distribution
Biot-Savart Law – Final Notes
 The law is also valid for a current consisting
of charges flowing through space

 ds represents the length of a small segment

of space in which the charges flow

 For example, this could apply to the electron
beam in a TV set
  
B Compared to E
 Distance
 The magnitude of the magnetic field varies as the
inverse square of the distance from the source
 The electric field due to a point charge also varies
as the inverse square of the distance from the
charge
 
B Compared to E , 2
 Direction
 The electric field created by a point charge is
radial in direction
 The magnetic field created by a current element
 is
perpendicular to both the length element ds and
the unit vector r̂
  
B Compared to E, 3
 Source
 An electric field is established by an isolated
electric charge
 The current element that produces a magnetic
field must be part of an extended current
distribution
 Therefore you must integrate over the entire current
distribution

B for a Long, Straight
Conductor
 The thin, straight wire is
carrying a constant
current

 ds ˆr dx sin θ kˆ
 Integrating over all the
current elements gives
μo I θ2
B 
4πa θ1 cos θ dθ

μo I
 sin θ1  sin θ2 
4πa

B for a Long, Straight
Conductor, Special Case
 If the conductor is an
infinitely long, straight
wire, = /2 and
= -/2
 The field becomes
μo I
B
2πa

B for a Long, Straight
Conductor, Direction
 The magnetic field lines are
circles concentric with the
wire
 The field lines lie in planes
perpendicular to to wire
 The magnitude of the field
is constant on any circle of
radius a
 The right-hand rule for
determining the direction of
the field is shown

B for a Curved Wire Segment
 Find the field at point O
due to the wire
segment
 I and R are constants
μo I
B θ
4πR
  will be in radians

B for a Circular Loop of Wire
 Consider the previous result, with a full circle
  = 2
μo I μo I μo I
B θ 2π 
4πa 4πa 2a
 This is the field at the center of the loop

B for a Circular Current Loop
 The loop has a radius
of R and carries a
steady current of I
 Find the field at point P
μo I a 2
Bx  3

2 a x2 2
 2
Comparison of Loops
 Consider the field at the center of the current
loop
 At this special point, x = 0
 Then,

μo I a 2 μo I
Bx  3


2 a x2 2
 2 2a

 This is exactly the same result as from the curved

wire
Magnetic Field Lines for a
Loop

 Figure (a) shows the magnetic field lines

surrounding a current loop
 Figure (b) shows the field lines in the iron filings
 Figure (c) compares the field lines to that of a bar
magnet
Magnetic Force Between Two
Parallel Conductors
 Two parallel wires each
carry a steady current

 The field B2 due to the
current in wire 2 exerts
a force on wire 1 of F1 =
I1ℓ B2

PLAY
ACTIVE FIGURE
Magnetic Force Between Two
Parallel Conductors, cont.

 Substituting the equation for B gives
2
μo I1 I 2
F1  
2πa
 Parallel conductors carrying currents in the same
direction attract each other
 Parallel conductors carrying current in opposite
directions repel each other
Magnetic Force Between Two
Parallel Conductors, final
 The result is often expressed as the magnetic
force between the two wires, FB
 Thiscan also be given as the force per unit
length:
FB μo I1 I 2

 2πa
Definition of the Ampere
 The force between two parallel wires can be
used to define the ampere
 When the magnitude of the force per unit

length between two long, parallel wires that

carry identical currents and are separated by
1 m is 2 x 10-7 N/m, the current in each wire is
defined to be 1 A
Definition of the Coulomb
 The SI unit of charge, the coulomb, is defined
in terms of the ampere
 When a conductor carries a steady current of

1 A, the quantity of charge that flows through

a cross section of the conductor in 1 s is 1 C
Andre-Marie Ampère
 1775 – 1836
 French physicist
 Created with the
discovery of
electromagnetism
 The relationship between
electric current and
magnetic fields
 Also worked in
mathematics
Magnetic Field of a Wire
 A compass can be
used to detect the
magnetic field
 When there is no
current in the wire,
there is no field due to
the current
 The compass needles
all point toward the
Earth’s north pole
 Due to the Earth’s
magnetic field
Magnetic Field of a Wire, 2
 Here the wire carries a
strong current
 The compass needles
deflect in a direction
tangent to the circle
 This shows the direction
of the magnetic field
produced by the wire
 Use the active figure to
vary the current
PLAY
ACTIVE FIGURE
Magnetic Field of a Wire, 3
 The circular magnetic
field around the wire is
shown by the iron
filings
Ampere’s Law
 
 The product of B  ds can be evaluated for

small length elements ds on the circular path
defined by the compass needles for the long
straight wire
 Ampere’s law states that the line integral of
 
B  ds around any closed path equals oI
where I is the total steady current passing
through anysurface bounded by the closed
path: B ds μo I
Ampere’s Law, cont.
 Ampere’s law describes the creation of
magnetic fields by all continuous current
configurations
 Most useful for this course if the current
configuration has a high degree of symmetry
 Putthe thumb of your right hand in the
direction of the current through the amperian
loop and your fingers curl in the direction you
should integrate around the loop
Field Due to a Long Straight
Wire – From Ampere’s Law
 Want to calculate the
magnetic field at a
distance r from the
center of a wire
carrying a steady
current I
 The current is uniformly
distributed through the
cross section of the
wire
Field Due to a Long Straight Wire
– Results From Ampere’s Law
 Outside of the wire, r > R
  μo I
B ds B( 2πr ) μo I  B
2πr
 Inside the wire, we need I’, the current inside
the amperian circle
  r2
B ds B( 2πr ) μo I '  I ' R 2 I
 μo I 
B  2 
r
 2πR 
Field Due to a Long Straight Wire
– Results Summary
 The field is proportional
to r inside the wire
 The field varies as 1/r
outside the wire
 Both equations are
equal at r = R
Magnetic Field of a Toroid
 Find the field at a point
at distance r from the
center of the toroid
 The toroid has N turns
of wire
 
B ds B( 2πr ) μoN I
μo N I
B
2πr
Magnetic Field of a Solenoid
 A solenoid is a long
wire wound in the form
of a helix
 A reasonably uniform
magnetic field can be
produced in the space
surrounded by the turns
of the wire
 The interior of the
solenoid
Magnetic Field of a Solenoid,
Description
 The field lines in the interior are
 nearly parallel to each other
 uniformly distributed
 close together
 Thisindicates the field is strong and almost
uniform
Magnetic Field of a Tightly
Wound Solenoid
 The field distribution is
similar to that of a bar
magnet
 As the length of the
solenoid increases
 the interior field becomes
more uniform
 the exterior field
becomes weaker
Ideal Solenoid –
Characteristics
 An ideal solenoid is
approached when:
 the turns are closely
spaced
 the length is much
greater than the radius of
the turns
Ampere’s Law Applied to a
Solenoid
 Ampere’s law can be used to find the interior
magnetic field of the solenoid
 Consider a rectangle with side ℓ parallel to
the interior field and side w perpendicular to
the field
 This is loop 2 in the diagram
 The side of length ℓ inside the solenoid
contributes to the field
 This is side 1 in the diagram
Ampere’s Law Applied to a
Solenoid, cont.
 Applying Ampere’s Law gives
 
B ds   B ds B  ds B
path 1 path 1

 The total current through the rectangular path

equals the current through each turn
multiplied by the number of turns
 
B ds B  o NI
Magnetic Field of a Solenoid,
final
 Solving
Ampere’s law for the magnetic field is
N
B  μo I  μo n I

 n = N / ℓ is the number of turns per unit length
 Thisis valid only at points near the center of
a very long solenoid
Magnetic Flux
 The magnetic flux
associated with a
magnetic field is
defined in a way similar
to electric flux
 Consider an area
element dA on an
arbitrarily shaped
surface
Magnetic Flux, cont.

 The magnetic field in this element is B

 dA is a vector that is perpendicular to the surface

 dA has a magnitude equal to the area dA

 The magnetic flux B is


 B B dA
 The unit of magnetic flux is T.m2 = Wb
 Wb is a weber
Magnetic Flux Through a
Plane, 1
 A special case is when
a plane of area A
makes an angle  with

dA
 The magnetic flux is B
= BA cos 
 In this case, the field is
parallel to the plane
and  = 0

PLAY
ACTIVE FIGURE
Magnetic Flux Through A
Plane, 2
 The magnetic flux is B =
BA cos 
 In this case, the field is

perpendicular to the plane

and
 = BA
 This will be the maximum

value of the flux

 Use the active figure to

investigate different angles

PLAY
ACTIVE FIGURE
Gauss’ Law in Magnetism
 Magnetic fields do not begin or end at any
point
 The number of lines entering a surface equals the
number of lines leaving the surface
 Gauss’ law in magnetism says the
magnetic flux through any closed surface is
always zero:

B dA 0
Earth’s Magnetic Field
 The Earth’s magnetic field
resembles that achieved by
burying a huge bar magnet
deep in the Earth’s interior
 The Earth’s south magnetic
pole is located near the
north geographic pole
 The Earth’s north magnetic
pole is located near the
south geographic pole
Vertical Movement of a
Compass
 Ifa compass is free to rotate vertically as well
as horizontally, it points to the Earth’s surface
 The farther north the device is moved, the

farther from horizontal the compass needle

would be
 The compass needle would be horizontal at the
equator
 The compass needle would point straight down at
the magnetic pole
Earth’s Magnetic Declination
Source of the Earth’s Magnetic
Field
 There cannot be large masses of permanently
magnetized materials since the high
temperatures of the core prevent materials
from retaining permanent magnetization
 The most likely source of the Earth’s magnetic

field is believed to be convection currents in

the liquid part of the core
 There is also evidence that the planet’s

magnetic field is related to its rate of rotation

Reversals of the Earth’s
Magnetic Field
 Thedirection of the Earth’s magnetic field
reverses every few million years
 Evidence of these reversals are found in basalts
resulting from volcanic activity
 The rocks provide a timeline for the periodic
reversals of the field
 The rocks are dated by other means to determine the
timeline