P age | 5

Wellfare Institute of Science, Technology & Management

Polytechnic - Magnetism K.Surya Prakash


DETERMINATION OF B ON THE AXIAL LINE OF A BAR MAGNET:
Def. of Axial line:
A straight line passing through the mid-point of a bar magnet and joining the two
poles of the bar magnet is called Axial line (or) Axis of the bar magnet. It is an imaginary line.

Derivation: consider a bar magnet of length 2l and pole strength m. Let A be a point on the
axial line at a distance d from the centre (O) of the magnet.
The magnetic inductinn B
N
at A due to north pole of the magnet, acting along NA is
given by

( )
2
4
o
N
m
B
NA

=

( )
( )
2

4
o
N
m
B NA d l
d l

= =

The magnetic induction B
S
at A due to the south
pole of the magnet, acting along AS is given by

( )
2
4
o
S
m
B
SA

=

( )
( )
2

4
o
S
m
B SA d l
d l

= = +
+

The resultant magnetic induction at A along NA is given by
N S
B B B =
( ) ( )
2 2

4 4
o o
m m
d l d l


=
+

( ) ( )
2 2
1 1

4
o
m
d l d l

(
= (
+
(


( ) ( )
( )
2 2
2
2 2
4
o
d l d l m
d l

(
+
(
=
(

( )
2
2 2
2 2
4
o
m l d
d l

( )
( )
2
2 2
2
2
4
o
Md
B m l M
d l

= =

The magnetic induction field strength at any point on the axial line of a bar magnet is

( )
2
2 2
2
4
o
Md
B
d l

When l <<d i.e., in the case of a very short bar magnet
( )
3
2
4
o
M
B
d

=

P age | 6

Wellfare Institute of Science, Technology & Management
Polytechnic - Magnetism K.Surya Prakash


DETERMINATION OF B ON THE EQUATORIAL LINE OF A BAR MAGNET:

Def: Equatorial line of a bar magnet is the perpendicular bisector of the axis of the magnet


Consider a bar magnet of magnetic length 2l and pole-
strength m. let P be a point on the equatorial line at a distance
d from centre (O) of the magnet.
The magnetic induction B
N
at P due to the north pole of
the magnet acting along NP is given by


( )
2
4
o
N
m
B
NP

=

( )
( )
2 2
2 2

4
o
N
m
B NE d l
d l

= = +
+

The magnetic induction B
S
at P due to the south pole of the magnet acting along EP is given by
( )
2
4
o
S
m
B
SE

=
( )
( )
2 2
2 2

4
o
S
m
B SE d l
d l

= = +
+

The vectors B
N
and B
S
are represented by the adjacent sides PA and PB of the parallelogram
PACB. Then the diagonal PC of the parallelogram gives the resultant induction field B.

From the fig. the triangles PAC and NPS are similar.

PC PA
NS NP
=
.( )
PA
PC NS
NP
=
2 2
.2

N
B l
PC
d l
=
+

( )
2 2
2 2
2
B .
4
o
m l
d l
d l

=
+
+


( )
3/2
2 2
B
4
o
M
d l

=
+
( ) 2 m l M =
When l << d, i.e., in the case of a very short bar magnet



3
B
4
o
M
d

=
Note : the direction of induction field B on the equatorial line is always opposite to the direction
of the magnetic moment.