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Approaches to B-field calculations

As with electric fields, there are two complementary


approaches to computing magnetic fields from known
field sources, currents in this case.
A direct brute-force approach based on superposition
that always works, in principle. The B-field version of
this is called the Biot-Savart Law.
A more elegant approach based on one of the
fundamental equations of electromagnetism, in analogy
to the use of Gausss law for the electric field. For
magnetism, this is called Amperes Law.

The Biot-Savart Law


The superposition-based brute-force solution to
magnetostatic problems.
Define:
r= position where we want to know the field; it stays
fixed.
s= position of a little length of wire dl; it varies.
dl points along the direction of current I; it varies.

Messrs. Biot and Savart then deduced that


0 I d r s
B

4
r s

Which way--1?
y

Which way does r-s point at the


location P for the current piece
idl located at the origin?
A. +x
B. -x
C. +z
D. -z

idl
x
P
z

Which way--2?
y

Which way does dl(r-s) point at


the location P for the current
piece idl located at the origin?
A. +y
B. -y
C. +z
D. -z

idl
x
P
z

B-field of a finite length wire.


Put the wire along the z-axis with current I running from b
to +a, and take a point on the x-axis at r=Ri.
s=zk.
r-s=Ri-zk
|r-s|3=(R2+z2)3/2
dl=dzk.
dl(r-s)=dzk(Ri-zk)=Rdzj.
And

0 Ij a
Rdz
B
4 b R 2 z 2

3/ 2

0 Ij
a
b

2
2
2
4R R a
R b

B-field along central axis of coil


Center our coil on the origin in the xy plane. We wish to
find B at the position r=hk (i.e., on the z-axis). The coil
has radius R.
s = Ricosf+Rjsinf.
r-s=hk-Ricosf-Rjsinf.
|r-s|3 = (h2+R2)3/2
dl=-Risinf+Rjcosf.
dl(r-s) = hRicosf+hRjsinf+R2k.
We need three integrals over f from 0 to 2, one for
each component: dfcosf=0, dfsinf=0, df=2. The
only term that is not zero is the part along the z-axis.
The answer: B=2IR20k/4(R2+h2)3/2=0/2(R2+h2)3/2

Helmholtz coil
A solenoid produces a nice uniform field inside its coil,
but you cant see inside. Two coils centered on the zaxis and placed at z=h can do a similar job.
The field at any point z if we make the currents flow
CCW when viewed from above is
B(z)=IR20k/2[1/(R2+(z-h)2)3/2+1/(R2+(z+h)2)3/2].
Close to z=0, we can write
B(z)=B(0)+zdB/dz+z2d2B/dz2/2!+z3d3B/dz3/3!+z4d4B/dz4/4!
What if we wanted to find out where B is reasonably
constant. We can accomplish this if we find the z that
solves dB/dz=0; this is at z=0; and then find R that makes
d2B/dz2=0 at z=0. This happens if 2h=R. In fact, the 3rd
derivative turns out to be zero at z=0 (by symmetry), so
B=B(0)+O[z4], where O() means of order.

Helmholtz II
The field is indeed very flat around z=0.
We can get more field just by increasing the number of
turns in the coil, then BNI.

Helmholtz field

A.
B.
C.
D.

Suppose the currents in the coils


shown at right flow in the clockwise
direction when viewed from the left.
Which arrow shows the direction of
B at the table?
Red.
Yellow.
Green.
Blue.

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