The Biot-Savart Law

(Text section 30.1, 30.2)

Practice: Chapter 30,

Objective Questions 4, 5, 9
Conceptual Questions 1, 11
Problems 7, 9, 11, 19, 65
 Sources of B

B exerts a force on moving charges.

But also, moving charges create magnetic fields.

Two equivalent ways of calculating B produced by

currents:

i) Biot-Savart Law: Field of a “current element”

( analagous to a point charge in electrostatics).

ii) Ampère’s Law: An integral theorem.

Biot and Savart: each “current element” I ds (a
very short length ds of wire, carrying current I)
produces a field dB throughout space:

dB
Ids

In reality, the current element is part of a

complete circuit, and only the total field due to
the entire circuit can be observed.
 Biot-Savart Law
Field produced at a vector distance r by a
“current element” I ds :

dB
(out of page)

r i) dB ⊥ current
ii) dB ⊥ r
r
θ 1
I iii) dB ∝ 2
I ds r
iv) dB ∝ sin θ
 dB
r
µ o Ids × rˆ
dB = 2
r 4π r
I θ
ds I −7
µ o = 4π × 10 T ⋅ m/A
(“permeability of vacuum”)

We get the total B by integrating along the wire:

µoI ds × rˆ
B =
4π ∫ r2
Example:
Find B at a distance R from a long straight wire
y
dB
ds = dx ⋅ ˆi
R φ r
θ
I
x
dx

µ o I sin θ
dB = 2
dx (in z - direction)
4π r
(note sin θ = R/r = cos φ)
 Quiz y
dB
The magnitude of the ds = dx ⋅ ˆi
field will be φ r
R θ
I
x
µ0 I ∞ dx dx
A) B =
4π ∫−∞ R 2 + x 2
µ0 I ∞ Rdx
B) B =
4π ∫−∞ ( R 2 + x 2 )3 / 2
µ0 I ∞ xdx
C) B =
4π ∫−∞ ( R 2 + x 2 )3 / 2
D) None of the above
 Result: the field produced at a distance R from a
long straight wire is

µ0I
B =
2π R
The field lines form circles around the wire. Note the
right-hand rule.

I I
Quiz
P
a I
What is the field at point P?

A) µ0I/(4πa)
B) µ0I/(2πa)
C) µ0I/(πa)
D) zero
E) none of the above
Example
Circular loop in y-z plane. Find B.
a) at the origin
b) at point (x, 0, 0)
y

I
R
x
(x, 0, 0)

z
 y
At the Origin:
dS
R
z r
dB

I
 At the point (x,0,0):

Pick a short segment ds where the wire crosses the y – axis:

I ds
• dB
θ
R r
θ
x
θ
r’
θ dB’
x
I ds’
 At the point (x,0,0):

Pick a short segment ds where the wire crosses the y – axis:

I ds µoI ds
• dB dB = ⋅ 2
r 4π r
θ µoI ds
r dB x = ⋅ 2 × cos θ
4π r
θ
x
θ
r’ dB’
θ
x
I ds’
The total field µ o I cos θ
(x-component) is B x = ∫ 4π
⋅ 2 ds
r
Quiz I •
r dB
µ o I cos θ θ
Bx = ∫ 4π
⋅ 2 ds
r
r
θ
x
θ
Which quantities can be dB’
θ
treated as constant when x
doing the integral above? I

A) I
B) r
C) θ
D) all of the above
E) two of the above
Field patterns:

I
B
current loop

B
bar magnet S N
 Example Problem

1) For each segment (ab, bc, cd, and da) state whether
the field it contributes at point C:
i) points into the page I
ii) points out of the page
iii) is zero. b
I c
a
θo d
2) Which field contribution R2
is largest in magnitude? R1
C
3) Calculate the field at C.
Biot, Savart, and Newton’s Third Law

A paradox?
Find the magnetic force each short current element
exerts on the other, using the Biot-Savart picture:

I1 1 mm
1 mm
I2
1000 mm