Torque on a Current Loop, 2

 There is a force on sides 2

& 4 since they are
perpendicular to the field
 The magnitude of the
magnetic force on these
sides will be:
 F2 = F4 = I a B
 The direction of F2 is out of
the page
 The direction of F4 is into
the page
Torque on a Current Loop, 3
 The forces are equal
and in opposite
directions, but not
along the same line of
action
 The forces produce a
torque around point O
Torque on a Current Loop,
Equation
 The maximum torque is found by:
b b b b
τ max  F2  F4  (I aB )  (I aB )
2 2 2 2
 I abB
 The area enclosed by the loop is ab, so τmax =
IAB
 This maximum value occurs only when the field is
parallel to the plane of the loop
Torque on a Current Loop,
General
 Assume the magnetic
field makes an angle of
q < 90o with a line
perpendicular to the
plane of the loop
 The net torque about
point O will be τ = IAB
sin q
 Use the active figure to
vary the initial settings
and observe the
resulting motion PLAY
ACTIVE FIGURE
Torque on a Current Loop,
Summary
 The torque has a maximum value when the
field is perpendicular to the normal to the
plane of the loop
 The torque is zero when the field is parallel to
the normal to the plane of the loop
   IA  B where A is perpendicular to the
plane of the loop and has a magnitude equal
to the area of the loop
Direction
 The right-hand rule can
be used to determine
the direction of A
 Curl your fingers in the
direction of the current
in the loop
 Your thumb points in
the direction of A
Magnetic Dipole Moment
 The product I A is defined as the magnetic
dipole moment,  , of the loop
 Often called the magnetic moment
 SI units: A · m2
 Torque in terms of magnetic moment:
   B
 Analogous to   p  E for electric dipole
 Chapter 30
Sources of the Magnetic Field
Biot-Savart Law – Introduction
 Biot and Savart conducted experiments on
the force exerted by an electric current on a
nearby magnet
 They arrived at a mathematical expression
that gives the magnetic field at some point in
space due to a current
Biot-Savart Law – Set-Up
 The magnetic field is dB
at some point P Please
replace with
 The length element is fig. 30.1
ds
 The wire is carrying a
steady current of I
Biot-Savart Law –
Observations
 The vectordB is perpendicular to both ds and
to the unit vector r̂ directed from ds toward P
 The magnitude of dB is inversely proportional
to r2, where r is the distance from ds to P
What does this tell you about
the magnetic field, dB ?
33% 33% 33%
1. It goes like the
scalar dot product
of ds and r̂
2. It goes like ds X r̂
3. dB is usually zero
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Biot-Savart Law –
Observations, cont
 The magnitude of dB is proportional to the
current and to the magnitude ds of the length
element ds
 The magnitude of dB is proportional to sin q,
where q is the angle between the vectors ds
and r̂
Biot-Savart Law – Equation
 The observations are summarized in the
mathematical equation called the Biot-Savart
law:
μo I ds  ˆr
dB 
4π r 2

 The magnetic field described by the law is the

field due to the current-carrying conductor
 Don’t confuse this field with a field external to the
conductor
Permeability of Free Space
 The constant o is called the permeability of
free space
 o = 4p x 10-7 T. m / A
Total Magnetic Field
 dB is the field created by the current in the
length segment ds
 To find the total field, sum up the
contributions from all the current elements I ds
μo I ds  ˆr
B
4π  r 2

 The integral is over the entire current distribution

Biot-Savart Law – Final Notes
 The law is also valid for a current consisting
of charges flowing through space
 ds represents the length of a small segment
of space in which the charges flow
 For example, this could apply to the electron
beam in a TV set
 B Compared to E
 Distance
 The magnitude of the magnetic field varies as the
inverse square of the distance from the source
 The electric field due to a point charge also varies
as the inverse square of the distance from the
charge
B Compared to E , 2
 Direction
 The electric field created by a point charge is
radial in direction
 The magnetic field created by a current element is
perpendicular to both the length element ds and
the unit vector r̂
 B Compared to E, 3
 Source
 An electric field is established by an isolated
electric charge
 The current element that produces a magnetic
field must be part of an extended current
distribution
 Therefore you must integrate over the entire current
distribution
Which variable can be pulled
out of the integral?
25% 25% 25% 25%
1. ds
2. sinθ
3. r2
4. None of them

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How are θ and Φ related?
25% 25% 25% 25%
1. Φ = θ – π/2
2. Φ=θ
3. Φ = π/2 – θ
4. Φ = θ + π/2

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B for a Long, Straight
Conductor, Special Case

 The field becomes

μo I
B
2πa
B for a Long, Straight
Conductor, Direction
 The magnetic field lines are
circles concentric with the
wire
 The field lines lie in planes
perpendicular to to wire
 The magnitude of the field
is constant on any circle of
radius a
 The right-hand rule for
determining the direction of
the field is shown
B for a Curved Wire Segment
 Find the field at point O
due to the wire
segment
 I and R are constants
μo I
B θ
4πR
 q will be in radians
What about the contribution from the
wires coming in and going out?
33% 33% 33%
1. They are distant
enough to neglect
their contribution
2. ds X r̂ = 0

3. The two currents

cancel each other
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B for a Curved Wire Segment
 Find the field at point O
due to the wire
segment
 I and R are constants
μo I
B θ
4πR
 q will be in radians
B for a Circular Loop of Wire
 Consider the previous result, with a full circle
 q = 2p
μo I μo I μo I
B θ 2π 
4πa 4πa 2a
 This is the field at the center of the loop
 B for a Circular Current Loop
 The loop has a
radius of R
and carries a
steady current
of I
 Find the field
at point P
What can we pull out of the
integral this time?
25% 25% 25% 25%
1. r2
2. Sin θ
3. ds
4. nothing
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B for a Circular Current Loop
 The loop has a radius
of R and carries a
steady current of I
 Find the field at point P
μo I a2
Bx 
 
3
2 a x
2 2 2
Comparison of Loops
 Consider the field at the center of the current
loop
 At this special point, x = 0
 Then,
μo I a2 μo I
Bx  
 
3
2 a x
2 2 2 2a

 This is exactly the same result as from the curved

wire