S.Y.B.Sc. -II /III Biot-Savart law N.

Kapoor
Magnetism:
So far, we've learned about two forces: gravity and the electric field force.
F
E 
q
, F  qE  Definition of E-field
kQ
 E-fields are created by charges: E  r 2
 E-field exerts a force on other charges: F  qE

The gravitational force is similar:

 GM
 Gravitational fields are created by mass: g  r 2 .
 The gravitational field exerts a force on other masses. F  mg .
There is a different kind of field, called a magnetic field or B-field.
 B-fields are created by moving charges (currents).
 B-fields exert forces on moving charges.
A magnetic field is generated when electric charge carriers such as electrons move
through space or within an electrical conductor. The geometric shapes of the magnetic
flux lines produced by moving charge carriers (electric current) are similar to the
shapes of the flux lines in an electrostatic field. But there are differences in the ways
electrostatic and magnetic fields interact with the environment.
Magnetic Field : a region of space near a magnet, electric current, or moving
charged particle in which a magnetic force acts on any other magnet, electric current,
or moving charged particle.
Magnetic field sources are essentially dipolar in nature, having a north and south
magnetic pole. The SI unit for magnetic field is the Tesla

Remember: I is to B as q is to E.
An electric current gives rise to a magnetic field.
The Right Hand Rule: if the thumb is pointing along the
direction of the current the direction of the fingers give the
direction of the magnetic field.

Magnetostatics is the study of magnetic fields in systems

where the currents are steady (not changing with time). It is the
magnetic analogue of electrostatics, where the charges are
stationary.
The magnetic field generated by a steady current I (a constant flow of electric charges,
in which charge neither accumulates nor is depleted at any point) is described by the
Biot–Savart law:
 F.Y.B.Sc. –II/III Biot-Savart law N.Kapoor 2
This law is easily seen as the magnetic equivalent of Coulomb's Law. What it basically
states is that the magnetic field decreases with the square of the distance from a "point
of current" or current segment. Where it differs is the fact that a point of current is
much harder to achieve than a point charge.
Biot Savart's Law:
Biot-Savart’s law is used to determine the magnetic field at any point due to a
current carrying conductors.
This law is although for infinitesimally small conductors yet it can be used for long
conductors. In order to understand the Biot-Savart’s law, we need to understand the
term current-element.
Current element :It is the product of current and length of infinitesimal segment of
current carrying wire.The current element is taken as a vector
i
A
B
quantity. Its direction is same as the direction of current.
dl
Current element AB = i dlˆ
In the figure shown below, there is a segment of current carrying wire and P is a
point where magnetic field is to be calculated. i dlˆ is a current
element and r is the distance of the point ‘P’ with respect to the
P current element i dlˆ . According to Biot-Savart Law, magnetic field
dl r at point ‘P’ due to the current element i dlˆ is given by the
i dlsinθ oI d l  rˆ
i
expression, dB  k 
r2 4 r 2
0 I dl sin 
also B   dB 
4  r 2
.

Idl sin 
In C.G.S. : k = 1  dB  r2
Gauss
0  Idl sin 
In S.I. : k   dB  0  Tesla
4 4 r2
Wb
where  0 = Absolute permeability of air or vacuum  4   10 7 .
Amp  metre
Henry
It's other units are metre
N Tesla  metre
or Amp 2 or Ampere

Magnetic field due to the current in a straight wire ---

oI d l  rˆ
By Biot-Savart B 
4  r2
  r
z  
dl sin    
 I 2 
B 0 
O 4 r 2

 
 0 I dl cos  
4 
B
r2

F.Y.B.Sc. –II/III Biot-Savart law N.Kapoor3

 Idl cos  

0
  B
4 

r2
 where  is the distance from the point-current element to the closest point of the wire ie point O to the
point, and
  is the distance from the point to the wire, and
 r is the distance from the point-current element to the point.


l   tan    Thus dl   sec    d  d
2

cos 2   


 2
cos   
r

Thus, we have
BI 0
4    
2
cos 2
  
d
cos   
2 
 cos   
 


0 2 
BI  cos   d I 0  sin 2  sin 1 
4 1 4

This wire is long, so let us consider it of infinite in length.

which gives the familiar result

0 2 
BI  cos   d I 0
4  2
2
Magnetic field at the center of a current carrying loop -- we have

integral is from 0 to 2 and since the current is going in the opposite

direction so the magnetic field will be out of the paper

taking the integral gives the magnetic field at the center of the loop
Current Loop

Magnetic field at a point z above the center and on the axis of a current carrying loop --
The not so obvious hint is the direction of . The cross product of with leads to a vector
perpendicular to both of them and as you go around the loop, will always be off the z axis by
an angle  . This makes all the horizontal components
of  cancel leaving just the vertical dB 

 R
dB||  dB cos  dB 

 z R 
2 2

z F.Y.B.Sc. –II/III
law
Biot-Savart
N.Kapoor4
  R  0 I dI x r̂  R
B   dB||   dB 
   
 z 2  R 2  4 r 2  
z 2  R2 

And dl x r̂  dl sin(900 )

dl =R d --where d is angle made by the length element at the center of the loop.
so the integral to get the magnetic field is
since
0 I Rd  R 
B  2

2 
4 R  z  z  R 2
2



Finally, taking the integral gives us the magnetic field

Magnetic field due to the current in a Solenoid ---

Solenoid :A cylinderical coil of many tightly wound turns of insulated wire with
generally diameter of the coil smaller than its length is called a solenoid.
One end of the solenoid behaves like the north pole and opposite end behaves like the
south pole. As the length of the solenoid increases, the interior field becomes more
uniform and the external field becomes weaker .

B=0
S N
B

i Solenoid i

A magnetic field is produced around and within the solenoid. The magnetic field within
the solenoid is uniform and parallel to the axis of solenoid.
Finite length solenoid : If N = total number of turns, l = length of the solenoid
N
n = number of turns per unit length 
l

d
y
2  dx x
P 1
x

F.Y.B.Sc. –II/III Biot-Savart law N.Kapoor5

Let its axis along the x-axis. Then consider a loop of current at position x and width dx The current through this
loop is of course NIdx/L.
The magnetic field of a loop of current at a distance x from point P is

0 I R2
dB 
2  R 2  x 2 3/ 2

So in this case, the magnetic field due to the loop at x of width dx is given by (replacing I with the expression
for the current above)

 0 NIdx R2
dB 
2L  R 2  x 2 3/ 2

Now sin=R/y and ydsin dx where y= R 2

 x2 

 0 NI R2  0 NI R 2 yd
dB  dx 
2L  R 2  x 2 3/ 2 2 L y 3 sin 

0 NIR 2 1 d  NI
  0 sin d
2 L  R sin   sin 
2
2L

 0 NI  2  NI
B=  sin d  0  cos 1  cos  2 
2 L 1 2L

 0 nI
Magnetic field inside the solenoid at point P is given by B   cos 1  cos  2 
2
Case 1: If the solenoid is of infinite length and if point P is is near one end
i)at RHS first loop then 1=900 and 2=1800
 0 nI
Bend 
2
ii)at LHS first loop then 1=00 and 2=900
0 nI
Bend 
2
Case 2: If the solenoid is of infinite length and if point P is at the center of the solenoid
then 2=1800 and 1=0
Bin   0 nI

Note :  Magnetic field outside the solenoid is zero.

1
 B end  B in
2

HW: Helmoltz coils