Today’s agenda:

Ampere’s Law.
You must be able to use Ampere’s Law to calculate the magnetic field for high-symmetry
current configurations.

Solenoids.
You must be able to use Ampere’s Law to calculate the magnetic field of solenoids and
toroids. You must be able to use the magnetic field equations derived with Ampere’s Law
to make numerical magnetic field calculations for solenoids and toroids.
 The Laws of Biot-Savart & Ampere

dl
 I

Fundamental Law for Calculating Magnetic Field

• Biot-Savart Law
• Ampere’s Law
Example: Calculate Magnetic Field of  Straight Wire
• from Biot-Savart Law
• from Ampere’s Law
Physics 1304: Lecture 12, Pg 2
 Calculation of Electric Field

Two ways to calculate the Electric Field:

• Coulomb's Law:

• Gauss' Law

"High symmetry"

What are the analogous equations for the Magnetic Field?

Physics 1304: Lecture 12, Pg 3

 Calculation of Magnetic Field

Two ways to calculate the Magnetic Field:

• Biot-Savart Law:

I

• Ampere's Law

"High symmetry"

These are the analogous equations for the Magnetic Field!

Physics 1304: Lecture 12, Pg 4

 Biot-Savart Law…bits and pieces

dl

q r
X
dB

I So, the magnetic field “circulates” around the wire

Physics 1304: Lecture 12, Pg 5

 Magnetic Field of
 Straight Wire

P
• Calculate field at point P using
Biot-Savart Law: r R
q
I x
Which way is B?
dx

Rewrite in terms of R,q:

 

\ 

Physics 1304: Lecture 12, Pg 6

 Magnetic Field of
 Straight Wire

r R
q
I x
dx

Physics 1304: Lecture 12, Pg 7

 Magnetic Field of
 Straight Wire
• Calculate field at distance R
from wire using Ampere's Law:
dl
Choose loop to be circle of radius R centered on I R
the wire in a plane ^ to wire.
Why?
» Magnitude of B is constant (fcn of R only)
» Direction of B is parallel to the path.
Evaluate line integral in Ampere’s Law:
Current enclosed by path = I
Apply Ampere’s Law:


• Ampere's Law simplifies the calculation thanks to symmetry of

the current! ( axial/cylindrical )
Physics 1304: Lecture 12, Pg 8
 Ampere’s Law
let’s evaluate the line integral along the direction
of B over a closed circular path around a I
current-carrying wire.

 B  ds =B  ds =B (2πr ) B ds
B ds r

 μ0 I 
 B  ds =  2πr  ( 2πr ) = μ 0 I
The above calculation is only for the special case of a long
straight wire, but you can show that the result is valid in
general.

Physics 1304: Lecture 12, Pg 9

  B  ds = μ 0 I Ampere’s Law

I is the total current that passes through a surface bounded by

the closed (and not necessarily circular) path of integration.

Ampere’s Law is useful for calculating the magnetic field due to

current configurations that have high symmetry.

The current I passing through a loop is positive if the direction

of integration is the same as the direction of B from the right
hand rule.

I I

positive I negative I
B ds B ds
r r
  B  ds = μ 0 Iencl

because the current that you use is the current “enclosed” by

the closed path over which you integrate.
dE
 B  ds = μ 0 Iencl + μ 0  dt
If your path includes more than one source of current, add all
the currents (with correct sign).
I1
 B  ds = μ (I
0 1 - I2 )

I2 ds
Ampere’s Circuital Law in Integral
and Differential Form
Example: a cylindrical wire of radius R carries
a current I that is uniformly distributed over I
the wire’s cross section. Calculate the
magnetic field inside and outside the wire. R

Cross-section of the wire:

 direction of I
B
R
r

( A enclosed by r ) ( πr )
2
r2
 B  ds = μ0 Iencl = μ0 I ( A enclosed by R ) = μ0 I
( πR )
2
=μ 0I 2
R
Over the closed circular path r:
 direction of I
 B  ds =B  ds = 2πrB B
R
Solve for B: r
r2
2 πrB = μ 0 I 2
R

r2 r μ0 I
B = μ0 I 2
= μ 0 I 2
= 2
r
2πrR 2πR 2πR

B is linear in r.
Outside the wire:
 direction of I
 B  ds =B  ds = 2πrB = μ 0 I
R
μ0 I
B= A lot easier than using
the Biot-Savart Law!
2 πr r
(as expected).
B
Plot:

R r
Today’s agenda:

Ampere’s Law.
You must be able to use Ampere’s Law to calculate the magnetic field for high-symmetry
current configurations.

Solenoids.
You must be able to use Ampere’s Law to calculate the magnetic field of solenoids and
toroids. You must be able to use the magnetic field equations derived with Ampere’s Law
to make numerical magnetic field calculations for solenoids and toroids.
 Magnetic Field of a Solenoid

A solenoid is made of many loops of wire, packed closely

together. Here’s the magnetic field from a loop of wire:
Stack many loops to make a solenoid:

Ought to remind you of the magnetic field of a bar magnet.

 

B 
           I
 

l
You can use Ampere’s law to calculate the magnetic field of a
solenoid.

 B  ds =  B  ds +  B  ds +  B  ds +  B  ds
1 2 3 4

 B  ds = B + 0 + 0 + 0 = μ0 Ienclosed

N is the number of loops

B = μ0 N I enclosed by the surface.
 

B 
           I
 

l

N Magnetic field of a solenoid of

B = μ0 I
length l , N loops, current I.
n=N/l (number of turns per
B = μ0 n I unit length).

The magnetic field inside a long solenoid does not depend on the position
inside the solenoid (if end effects are neglected).
A toroid is just a solenoid “hooked up” to itself.

 B  ds = μ 0 Ienclosed = μ0 N I

 B  ds =B  ds =B (2πr )
B ( 2πr ) = μ 0 N I

μ0 N I Magnetic field
B= inside a toroid of N
2 πr loops, current I.

The magnetic field inside a toroid is not subject to end effects, but is not
constant inside (because it depends on r).
Example: a thin 10-cm long solenoid has a total of 400 turns of
wire and carries a current of 2 A. Calculate the magnetic field
inside near the center.

N
B = μ0 I

 -7 T  m  ( 400 )
B =  4 π ×10  (2 A )
 A  ( 0.1 m)

B = 0.01 T
 μ0 I
B= long straight wire
2 πr use Ampere’s law (or note the lack of N)

μ0 N I
B= center of N loops of radius a
2a
N
B = μ0 I solenoid, length l, N turns
field inside a solenoid is constant

B = μ0 n I solenoid, n turns per unit length

field inside a solenoid is constant
μ0 N I
B= toroid, N loops
2 πr field inside a toroid depends on position (r)