LECTURE 18

APPLICATIONS OF BIOT-
SAVART LAW

PHYSICS 72 1
 Evaluate Evaluate the magnetic field vector at any point in space due to
a straight current-carrying conductor

Use Use superposition principle to calculate the magnetic field due

to one or more straight wire conductors

Objectives
Calculate the force per unit length on a current-carrying wire
Calculate due to the magnetic field produced by other current-carrying
wires

Evaluate Evaluate the magnetic field vector at any point along the axis
of a circular current loop

PHYSICS 72 2
 Recall: Biot-Savart Law
Suppose we have a
𝜇 𝐼𝑑 ⃗
𝑙 × ^
𝑟
𝑑⃗
0
wire carrying current
We want to find at a 𝐵=
field point coming from 4𝜋 𝑟 2

the wire
𝑑 ⃗𝑙 We integrate
to obtain
𝑟^ overall field.
𝐼
𝜇 𝐼𝑑 ⃗
𝑙 × ^
𝑟
Current-
carrying Field point
⃗
𝐵=
4𝜋
0
∫ 𝑟
2
wire
PHYSICS 72 3
Magnetic field due to a straight wire
What is the magnetic
field at point P?
The contribution of to the magnetic field at
point is
𝜇 𝐼𝑑 ⃗ × 𝑟^
𝑙
𝑑⃗
0
𝐵=
4𝜋 𝑟2
Integrate to get total

𝜇 𝐼𝑑 ⃗ × 𝑟^
𝑙
⃗
𝐵=
4𝜋
0
∫ 𝑟 2

PHYSICS 72 4
Magnetic field due to a straight wire
We first solve for the magnitude . Using the definition of
the cross product,

What is ?

What is ?
(You can prove or verify this identity)

PHYSICS 72 5
Magnetic field due to a straight wire
Since is along y,

Hence, from the previous equation for

We can recast the equation using the other

derived expressions

We integrate over proper limits.

PHYSICS 72 6
Magnetic field due to a straight wire

Let . We use

What if the wire is very, very long

such that

PHYSICS 72 7
Magnetic field due to a straight wire

If :

This may be generalized to

PHYSICS 72 8
 Magnetic field due to a very long straight wire
Thus, from the previous result,
at all points on a circle of radius r
around a long, straight current-
carrying wire, the magnitude B is

𝜇0 𝐼
𝐵= radius r

2𝜋𝑟

PHYSICS 72 9
 Magnetic field due to a straight wire
The direction can be figured out using right-hand screw rule.
1. Using your right hand, follow the direction
of the current with your thumb.

2. The direction where your fingers curl is the

direction of the magnetic field line
generated by .

3. The vector tangent to the circular field line

at the field point is the direction of the
magnetic field.

PHYSICS 72 10
 Example
Three long, straight conducting wires each carry a current I in the direction shown.
What is the magnitude and direction of the resulting magnetic field at point P?

y 1 2 3
x P
z
R R R
PHYSICS 72 11
Direction: Use right-hand screw rule. Draw circles centered
at each source that includes the field point. Indicate the
direction where the circle is directed (CW or CCW).

1 2 3
P

R R R

PHYSICS 72 12
 2 1 ⃗ 3
𝐵1 , ⃗
𝐵2 , ⃗
𝐵3 The field line from
source 1 has radius
and does not fit the
page. However, like

1 2 3 in source 2, it is
directed
counterclockwise.
P

R R R

Draw vectors that are tangent to the field lines, in the direction where the field
lines are directed. In this example, all tangent vectors are directed upward.

PHYSICS 72 13
 Magnitude and Final Answer
y

z
Directions: 1 - up, 2 - up, 3 - up
;;
, up or

PHYSICS 72 14
 Solution (alternative)
y 𝑰
x
𝒓^ 𝒓^ 𝒓^

z 𝑰 𝑰
Use RHR or cross product to get direction.
1:
2:
3:
PHYSICS 72 15
 EXAMPLE
Two long parallel power lines each carry 100-A currents in the
direction shown. If the wires are 20.0 cm apart as shown, what is
the magnetic field at a field point , which is 20.0 cm away from
each wire?
20.0 cm 20.0 cm

20.0 cm

PHYSICS 72 16
 ⃗ Remarks:
𝑩 net
• The x-components will cancel out.
• Magnitudes are equal: .
⃗
𝑩2 ⃗
𝑩1
𝐵1 , 𝑦 =𝐵1 sin (60 °¿)=
√3 𝐵 ¿
60 ° 60 ° 2 1

𝐵2 , 𝑦 =𝐵2 sin(60 ° ¿)=

√3 𝐵 = √3 𝐵 ¿
2 1
2 2

⃗
(2
𝑩 net = 1
2 1 )
√ 3 𝐵 + √ 3 𝐵 ^𝒋= √3 𝐵 ^𝒋
1

𝜇 𝐼 ^ ( 4 𝜋 ×10 −7
T ∙ m/ A )(100 A ) ^
⃗
𝑩 net =√ 3
0
𝒋=√ 3 𝒋
1 2 2𝜋 𝑟 2 𝜋 (0.200 m)

⃗
𝑩 net =1.73 × 10 −4 T ^𝒋

PHYSICS 72 17
 EXAMPLE
Consider two infinitely long wires each carrying current I as shown. What is the
magnitude of the net magnetic field at point P?
Use the equation

Since the wires carry the same and are equidistant with ,

PHYSICS 72 18
Solution
From right hand rule, the direction of field
due to left wire:
Out of the page

The direction of field due to right wire:

Out of the page

Since the fields lie along the same axis,

PHYSICS 72 19
Interaction between parallel wires
We can extend
the previous
system to a
current-carrying
wire

PHYSICS 72 20
Force between two parallel conductors
The lower conductor produces a
magnetic field that, at the position of the
upper conductor, has magnitude
𝜇0 𝐼
𝐵=
2𝜋𝑟
The magnetic force that this field exerts
on a length L of the upper conductor is
⃗ ′⃗ ⃗
𝐹 =𝐼 𝐿× 𝐵
21
PHYSICS 72
 I’ Lower conductor produces a
L magnetic field in this portion.
𝜇0 𝐼
Magnitude: 𝐵=
r
2𝜋𝑟
I
Direction:

The magnetic force experienced by the segment having length L on the

upper conductor is

⃗
𝐹 =𝐼 ⃗𝐿× ⃗
′
𝐵
′
Magnitude: 𝐹 =𝐼 𝐿𝐵=𝐼 𝐿
Direction: downward
′ 𝜇0 𝐼
2𝜋 ( )
PHYSICS 72 22
 The magnetic force experienced by the segment having length L on the
lower conductor is
⃗ ′⃗ ⃗
𝐹 =𝐼 𝐿× 𝐵 Magnitude: 𝐹 =𝐼𝐿𝐵= 𝐼𝐿
𝜇0 𝐼 ′
2𝜋 ( )
Direction: upward

Upper conductor produces a magnetic

r field in this portion.
I’ ′
𝜇0 𝐼
Magnitude: 𝐵=
2𝜋𝑟
Direction:
I L
PHYSICS 72 23
Force between two parallel conductors
I’
′ ′
𝐹 =𝐼 𝐿𝐵=𝐼 𝐿 (
𝜇0 𝐼
2𝜋 𝑟 )
r I
( )
′
𝜇0 𝐼
𝐹 =𝐼𝐿𝐵= 𝐼𝐿
2𝜋𝑟

PHYSICS 72 24
 Conclusion
Two long, parallel, current-carrying conductors attract if the
currents are in the same direction.

Two long, parallel, current-carrying conductors repel if the

currents are in the opposite direction.

PHYSICS 72 25
 Force per unit length
upper conductor lower conductor

( ) ( )
′
′ 𝜇0 𝐼 ′ 𝜇0 𝐼
𝐹 =𝐼 𝐿𝐵=𝐼 𝐿 𝐹 =𝐼𝐿𝐵= 𝐼𝐿
2𝜋 𝑟 2𝜋𝑟
′
𝑭 𝝁𝟎 𝑰 𝑰
=
𝑳 𝟐𝝅𝒓
Applicable for any two long, parallel, current-carrying conductors.
PHYSICS 72 26
 Example
Two long, parallel wires are separated by a distance of 0.400 m as
shown. The currents and have the directions shown. Calculate the
magnitude of the force exerted by each wire on a 1.20-m length of
the other. Is the force attractive or repulsive?

PHYSICS 72 27
Solution

The force is repulsive since the currents are in opposite

directions.

PHYSICS 72 28
Example
Three long conductors and , are arranged with currents
directed as shown. What is the magnitude and direction of
the force per unit length experiences due to the other two
conductors?

PHYSICS 72 29
Solution
Direction of force/unit length on Z
due to X: upward (attractive)
due to Y: downward (repulsive)

Magnitude of force/unit length on Z

due to X:
due to Y:
The net force is the vector sum of the contributions:

PHYSICS 72 30
Magnetic field of a circular loop
What is the magnetic field
at point P?

Apply Biot-Savart law.

𝝁 𝑰𝒅 ⃗
𝒍 × ^
𝒓
𝒅⃗
𝑩= 𝟎
𝟒𝝅 𝒓 𝟐

PHYSICS 72 31
Magnetic field of a circular loop
We use the definition of cross product

where is angle between and .

What is ?

What is ?

PHYSICS 72 32
Magnetic field of a circular loop
What is ?

Thus, becomes

What about and ?

By symmetry, both cancel out. Thus, we are
left with
We then integrate over the relevant limits

PHYSICS 72 33
Magnetic field of a circular loop

If we integrate dl over the whole loop,

we obtain the length of the loop, that is

Thus, the magnetic field magnitude is

PHYSICS 72 34
Magnetic field of a circular loop (at the
origin)

At the origin, . So

(0, 0)

PHYSICS 72 35
Remarks
As we go out along the axis, the magnitude of the
magnetic field decreases.
The maximum value of the magnetic field is at the origin.
Derived formulas are only valid when solving magnetic
fields at a rotational symmetry axis.

PHYSICS 72 36
Magnetic field of a circular loop
𝝁𝒐 𝑰 𝑹𝟐
𝑩𝒛 =
𝟐 ( 𝑹 +𝒛 )
𝟐 𝟐 𝟑/𝟐

At the origin, .
𝝁𝒐 𝑰
𝑩=
𝟐𝑹
PHYSICS 72 37
 Circular loop with turns
For a coil consisting of loops, all with the same radius ,
𝝁𝒐 𝑵 𝑰 𝑹
𝟐 (on the axis of N
𝑩𝒛 = circular loops)
𝟐 (𝑹 +𝒛 )
𝟐 𝟐 𝟑/𝟐

At the center of the coil ():

𝝁𝒐 𝑵 𝑰 (at the center of N
𝑩= circular loops)
𝟐𝑹
PHYSICS 72 38
 General forms for circular loop
What we have right now:
In general:
For :
𝝁𝒐 𝑰 𝑹
𝟐
𝝁𝒐 𝝁
𝑩𝒛 = 𝑩𝒛 =
𝟐 ( 𝑹𝟐 + 𝒛 𝟐 )𝟑 / 𝟐 𝟐 𝝅 (𝑹 +𝒛 )
𝟐 𝟐 𝟑 /𝟐

For :
where
𝝁𝒐 𝑵 𝑰 𝑹
𝟐
𝑩𝒛 =
𝟐 𝟐 𝟑/𝟐
(𝑹 +𝒛 )
𝟐

PHYSICS 72 39
 of a bent wire with angle (at the origin)
A wire is bent to form an arc of radius and subtending a central angle .
What is the magnetic field at point at the origin?

PHYSICS 72 40
 of a bent wire with angle (at the origin):
solving for magnitude
We start with the expression for

Perform integration.

But , i.e. the arc length tended by

PHYSICS 72 41
 of a bent wire with angle (at the origin):
solving for magnitude
We perform the integration and obtain

(at the origin)

Note: The angle in the equation should be in radians.

Remark: When (full circle),

𝜇 0 𝐼 (2 𝜋) 𝜇0 𝐼 Magnetic Field due to a
𝐵= =¿ circular loop at the origin
4𝜋𝑅 2𝑅

PHYSICS 72 42
 Direction
Use RHR. Curl your finger of your right hand in the direction of the
current. Your right thumb points in the direction of .

PHYSICS 72 43
 Example
Calculate the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field at point due to the
current in the semicircular section of wire shown.
Does the current in the long, straight section of the wire produce any field at P?

PHYSICS 72 44
 Solution
For the semicircular section:
Direction:
(i) (at the origin)
into the page (use right-
hand screw rule)
Alternatively,
Straight sections have no
(ii) contribution to .

PHYSICS 72 45
Exercise!

PHYSICS 72 46
 Solution

For a quarter circle:

Use RHR: radius (, radius (
Thus

PHYSICS 72 47