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University Physics Volume 2

12.2 Magnetic Field Due to a Thin Straight Wire

University Physics Volume 212.2 Magnetic Field Due to a Thin Straight Wire

Table of contents
  1. Preface
  2. Thermodynamics
    1. 1 Temperature and Heat
      1. Introduction
      2. 1.1 Temperature and Thermal Equilibrium
      3. 1.2 Thermometers and Temperature Scales
      4. 1.3 Thermal Expansion
      5. 1.4 Heat Transfer, Specific Heat, and Calorimetry
      6. 1.5 Phase Changes
      7. 1.6 Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
      8. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    2. 2 The Kinetic Theory of Gases
      1. Introduction
      2. 2.1 Molecular Model of an Ideal Gas
      3. 2.2 Pressure, Temperature, and RMS Speed
      4. 2.3 Heat Capacity and Equipartition of Energy
      5. 2.4 Distribution of Molecular Speeds
      6. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    3. 3 The First Law of Thermodynamics
      1. Introduction
      2. 3.1 Thermodynamic Systems
      3. 3.2 Work, Heat, and Internal Energy
      4. 3.3 First Law of Thermodynamics
      5. 3.4 Thermodynamic Processes
      6. 3.5 Heat Capacities of an Ideal Gas
      7. 3.6 Adiabatic Processes for an Ideal Gas
      8. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    4. 4 The Second Law of Thermodynamics
      1. Introduction
      2. 4.1 Reversible and Irreversible Processes
      3. 4.2 Heat Engines
      4. 4.3 Refrigerators and Heat Pumps
      5. 4.4 Statements of the Second Law of Thermodynamics
      6. 4.5 The Carnot Cycle
      7. 4.6 Entropy
      8. 4.7 Entropy on a Microscopic Scale
      9. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
  3. Electricity and Magnetism
    1. 5 Electric Charges and Fields
      1. Introduction
      2. 5.1 Electric Charge
      3. 5.2 Conductors, Insulators, and Charging by Induction
      4. 5.3 Coulomb's Law
      5. 5.4 Electric Field
      6. 5.5 Calculating Electric Fields of Charge Distributions
      7. 5.6 Electric Field Lines
      8. 5.7 Electric Dipoles
      9. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
    2. 6 Gauss's Law
      1. Introduction
      2. 6.1 Electric Flux
      3. 6.2 Explaining Gauss’s Law
      4. 6.3 Applying Gauss’s Law
      5. 6.4 Conductors in Electrostatic Equilibrium
      6. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    3. 7 Electric Potential
      1. Introduction
      2. 7.1 Electric Potential Energy
      3. 7.2 Electric Potential and Potential Difference
      4. 7.3 Calculations of Electric Potential
      5. 7.4 Determining Field from Potential
      6. 7.5 Equipotential Surfaces and Conductors
      7. 7.6 Applications of Electrostatics
      8. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    4. 8 Capacitance
      1. Introduction
      2. 8.1 Capacitors and Capacitance
      3. 8.2 Capacitors in Series and in Parallel
      4. 8.3 Energy Stored in a Capacitor
      5. 8.4 Capacitor with a Dielectric
      6. 8.5 Molecular Model of a Dielectric
      7. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    5. 9 Current and Resistance
      1. Introduction
      2. 9.1 Electrical Current
      3. 9.2 Model of Conduction in Metals
      4. 9.3 Resistivity and Resistance
      5. 9.4 Ohm's Law
      6. 9.5 Electrical Energy and Power
      7. 9.6 Superconductors
      8. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    6. 10 Direct-Current Circuits
      1. Introduction
      2. 10.1 Electromotive Force
      3. 10.2 Resistors in Series and Parallel
      4. 10.3 Kirchhoff's Rules
      5. 10.4 Electrical Measuring Instruments
      6. 10.5 RC Circuits
      7. 10.6 Household Wiring and Electrical Safety
      8. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    7. 11 Magnetic Forces and Fields
      1. Introduction
      2. 11.1 Magnetism and Its Historical Discoveries
      3. 11.2 Magnetic Fields and Lines
      4. 11.3 Motion of a Charged Particle in a Magnetic Field
      5. 11.4 Magnetic Force on a Current-Carrying Conductor
      6. 11.5 Force and Torque on a Current Loop
      7. 11.6 The Hall Effect
      8. 11.7 Applications of Magnetic Forces and Fields
      9. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    8. 12 Sources of Magnetic Fields
      1. Introduction
      2. 12.1 The Biot-Savart Law
      3. 12.2 Magnetic Field Due to a Thin Straight Wire
      4. 12.3 Magnetic Force between Two Parallel Currents
      5. 12.4 Magnetic Field of a Current Loop
      6. 12.5 Ampère’s Law
      7. 12.6 Solenoids and Toroids
      8. 12.7 Magnetism in Matter
      9. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    9. 13 Electromagnetic Induction
      1. Introduction
      2. 13.1 Faraday’s Law
      3. 13.2 Lenz's Law
      4. 13.3 Motional Emf
      5. 13.4 Induced Electric Fields
      6. 13.5 Eddy Currents
      7. 13.6 Electric Generators and Back Emf
      8. 13.7 Applications of Electromagnetic Induction
      9. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    10. 14 Inductance
      1. Introduction
      2. 14.1 Mutual Inductance
      3. 14.2 Self-Inductance and Inductors
      4. 14.3 Energy in a Magnetic Field
      5. 14.4 RL Circuits
      6. 14.5 Oscillations in an LC Circuit
      7. 14.6 RLC Series Circuits
      8. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    11. 15 Alternating-Current Circuits
      1. Introduction
      2. 15.1 AC Sources
      3. 15.2 Simple AC Circuits
      4. 15.3 RLC Series Circuits with AC
      5. 15.4 Power in an AC Circuit
      6. 15.5 Resonance in an AC Circuit
      7. 15.6 Transformers
      8. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
    12. 16 Electromagnetic Waves
      1. Introduction
      2. 16.1 Maxwell’s Equations and Electromagnetic Waves
      3. 16.2 Plane Electromagnetic Waves
      4. 16.3 Energy Carried by Electromagnetic Waves
      5. 16.4 Momentum and Radiation Pressure
      6. 16.5 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
      7. Chapter Review
        1. Key Terms
        2. Key Equations
        3. Summary
        4. Conceptual Questions
        5. Problems
        6. Additional Problems
        7. Challenge Problems
  4. A | Units
  5. B | Conversion Factors
  6. C | Fundamental Constants
  7. D | Astronomical Data
  8. E | Mathematical Formulas
  9. F | Chemistry
  10. G | The Greek Alphabet
  11. Answer Key
    1. Chapter 1
    2. Chapter 2
    3. Chapter 3
    4. Chapter 4
    5. Chapter 5
    6. Chapter 6
    7. Chapter 7
    8. Chapter 8
    9. Chapter 9
    10. Chapter 10
    11. Chapter 11
    12. Chapter 12
    13. Chapter 13
    14. Chapter 14
    15. Chapter 15
    16. Chapter 16
  12. Index

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Explain how the Biot-Savart law is used to determine the magnetic field due to a thin, straight wire.
  • Determine the dependence of the magnetic field from a thin, straight wire based on the distance from it and the current flowing in the wire.
  • Sketch the magnetic field created from a thin, straight wire by using the second right-hand rule.

How much current is needed to produce a significant magnetic field, perhaps as strong as Earth’s field? Surveyors will tell you that overhead electric power lines create magnetic fields that interfere with their compass readings. Indeed, when Oersted discovered in 1820 that a current in a wire affected a compass needle, he was not dealing with extremely large currents. How does the shape of wires carrying current affect the shape of the magnetic field created? We noted in Magnetic Forces and Fields that a current loop created a magnetic field similar to that of a bar magnet, but what about a straight wire? We can use the Biot-Savart law to answer all of these questions, including determining the magnetic field of a long straight wire.

Figure 12.5 shows a section of an infinitely long, straight wire that carries a current I. What is the magnetic field at a point P, located a distance R from the wire?

This figure shows a section of a thin, straight current-carrying wire. Point P is located at distance R from the center of the wire O and at distance r from the piece of the wire dX. Vector r from the piece of the wire dX to the point P forms an angle theta with the wire.
Figure 12.5 A section of a thin, straight current-carrying wire. The independent variable θθ has the limits θ1θ1 and θ2.θ2.

Let’s begin by considering the magnetic field due to the current element IdxIdx located at the position x. Using the right-hand rule 1 from the previous chapter, dx×r^dx×r^ points out of the page for any element along the wire. At point P, therefore, the magnetic fields due to all current elements have the same direction. This means that we can calculate the net field there by evaluating the scalar sum of the contributions of the elements. With |dx×r^|=(dx)(1)sinθ,|dx×r^|=(dx)(1)sinθ, we have from the Biot-Savart law

B=μ04πwireIsinθdxr2.B=μ04πwireIsinθdxr2.
12.5

The wire is symmetrical about point O, so we can set the limits of the integration from zero to infinity and double the answer, rather than integrate from negative infinity to positive infinity. Based on the picture and geometry, we can write expressions for r and sinθsinθ in terms of x and R, namely:

r=x2+R2sinθ=Rx2+R2.r=x2+R2sinθ=Rx2+R2.

Substituting these expressions into Equation 12.5, the magnetic field integration becomes

B=μoI2π0Rdx(x2+R2)3/2.B=μoI2π0Rdx(x2+R2)3/2.
12.6

Evaluating the integral yields

B=μoI2πR[ x(x2+R2)1/2]0.B=μoI2πR[ x(x2+R2)1/2]0.
12.7

Substituting the limits gives us the solution

B=μoI2πR.B=μoI2πR.
12.8

The magnetic field lines of the infinite wire are circular and centered at the wire (Figure 12.6), and they are identical in every plane perpendicular to the wire. Since the field decreases with distance from the wire, the spacing of the field lines must increase correspondingly with distance. The direction of this magnetic field may be found with a second form of the right-hand rule (illustrated in Figure 12.6). If you hold the wire with your right hand so that your thumb points along the current, then your fingers wrap around the wire in the same sense as B.B.

This figure demonstrates the right-hand rule. The wire is held with the right hand so that the thumb points along the current. The fingers wrap around the wire in the same sense as the magnetic field.
Figure 12.6 Some magnetic field lines of an infinite wire. The direction of BB can be found with a form of the right-hand rule.

The direction of the field lines can be observed experimentally by placing several small compass needles on a circle near the wire, as illustrated in Figure 12.7. When there is no current in the wire, the needles align with Earth’s magnetic field. However, when a large current is sent through the wire, the compass needles all point tangent to the circle. Iron filings sprinkled on a horizontal surface also delineate the field lines, as shown in Figure 12.7.

Figure A shows a circle formed by the small compass needles aligned with Earth’s magnetic field. Figure B shows that iron filings sprinkled on a horizontal surface around a long wire delineate the field lines.
Figure 12.7 The shape of the magnetic field lines of a long wire can be seen using (a) small compass needles and (b) iron filings.

Example 12.3

Calculating Magnetic Field Due to Three Wires

Three wires sit at the corners of a square, all carrying currents of 2 amps into the page as shown in Figure 12.8. Calculate the magnitude of the magnetic field at the other corner of the square, point P, if the length of each side of the square is 1 cm.
Figure shows three wires I1, I2, and I3 with current flowing into the page. Wires form three corners of a square. The magnetic field is determined at the fourth corner of the square that is labeled P.
Figure 12.8 Three wires have current flowing into the page. The magnetic field is determined at the fourth corner of the square.

Strategy

The magnetic field due to each wire at the desired point is calculated. The diagonal distance is calculated using the Pythagorean theorem. Next, the direction of each magnetic field’s contribution is determined by drawing a circle centered at the point of the wire and out toward the desired point. The direction of the magnetic field contribution from that wire is tangential to the curve. Lastly, working with these vectors, the resultant is calculated.

Solution

Wires 1 and 3 both have the same magnitude of magnetic field contribution at point P:
B1=B3=μoI2πR=(4π×10−7Tm/A)(2A)2π(0.01m)=4×10−5T.B1=B3=μoI2πR=(4π×10−7Tm/A)(2A)2π(0.01m)=4×10−5T.

Wire 2 has a longer distance and a magnetic field contribution at point P of:

B2=μoI2πR=(4π×10−7Tm/A)(2A)2π(0.01414m)=3×10−5T.B2=μoI2πR=(4π×10−7Tm/A)(2A)2π(0.01414m)=3×10−5T.

The vectors for each of these magnetic field contributions are shown.

Figure shows three wires I1, I2, and I3 with current flowing into the page. Wires form three corners of a square. The magnetic field is determined at the fourth corner of the square that is labeled P. Vector B3 is directed from the point P towards the wire I1. Vector B1 is the continuation of the line from the wire I3 to the point P. Vector B2 lies between vectors B1 and B3.

The magnetic field in the x-direction has contributions from wire 3 and the x-component of wire 2:

Bnetx=−4×10−5T2.83×10−5Tcos(45°)=−6×10−5T.Bnetx=−4×10−5T2.83×10−5Tcos(45°)=−6×10−5T.

The y-component is similarly the contributions from wire 1 and the y-component of wire 2:

Bnety=−4×10−5T2.83×10−5Tsin(45°)=−6×10−5T.Bnety=−4×10−5T2.83×10−5Tsin(45°)=−6×10−5T.

Therefore, the net magnetic field is the resultant of these two components:

Bnet=Bnetx2+Bnety2Bnet=(−6×10−5T)2+(−6×10−5T)2Bnet=8×10−5T.Bnet=Bnetx2+Bnety2Bnet=(−6×10−5T)2+(−6×10−5T)2Bnet=8×10−5T.

Significance

The geometry in this problem results in the magnetic field contributions in the x- and y-directions having the same magnitude. This is not necessarily the case if the currents were different values or if the wires were located in different positions. Regardless of the numerical results, working on the components of the vectors will yield the resulting magnetic field at the point in need.

Check Your Understanding 12.3

Using Example 12.3, keeping the currents the same in wires 1 and 3, what should the current be in wire 2 to counteract the magnetic fields from wires 1 and 3 so that there is no net magnetic field at point P?

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