1

We can find the direction of magnetic field by using right hand rule. As
shown in the picture above, grab the wire with your four fingers, your
thumb shows the direction of current and four fingers show the direction
of magnetic field.

Example: Two currents flow through the x and y axis of the wire. As
you can see from the picture two points are located near the wires A and
B. If the total magnetic field at Ais B
A
, and total magnetic field
at B is B
B
, find ratio of B
A
/B
B
?












2

Magnetic field at point B;




3



- Introduction
- Biot-Savart Law (Magnetic Field due to a Current)
- Magnetic Field due to a Straight (infinitely) long Current
Carrying wire
- Magnetic Field due to a circular current loop
- Current Loop and Magnetic Dipole
- Force Law
- Forces on Currents and the Lorentz force
- Ampere's Circuital Law
- Moving Charge in Electric Field
- Galvanometer



CONTENTS
4



The elementary source of magnetic force is a small length dl (or a length element)
of a conductor carrying a current I. The force on another similar conductor can be
expressed conveniently in terms of a magnetic field dB due to the first. The
dependence of such magnetic field on the current I, on the size and orientation of
the line element d1, and on the distance r from it was guessed at
by Biot and Savart from measurements on finite (not infinitesimal) current-
carrying wires with simple shapes, e.g. lines, rectangles and circles. These
measurements were of forces as well as comes equilibrium near such wires. This
direction turns out to be that of the total resultant magnetic field, i.e., the vector
sum of the magnetic fields due to the current-carrying wire and the earth.

The magnitude of the magnetic field dB at a distance r from a current
element dl carrying a current I is found to be proportional to I, to the length dl and
inversely to the square of the distance |r|. The direction of the magnetic field is
perpendicular to the line element dl as well as the radius r.

o
I dl x r

dB = ------- --------- tesla (Wb/m
2
)
4p r
3



5



Consider a straight infinitely long wire carrying a steady current I. The line
AP is perpendicular to the wire, and is of length R. From the Biot-Savart law, the
magnetic field dB due to a small element dl of the wire near the point O at a
distance |r| = r from P (OP=r) is

o
I dl x r
dB = ------- ---------
4p r
3

Since the current element dl and the vector r make an angle q with each other, the
product dl*r has a magnitude dlr sin q. It is directed perpendicular to both dl and
r. This is the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper and going into it, as
is clear from the right handed corkscrew rule (link) (direction of advance of a right
handed corkscrew turning from dl to r).

o
I dl sin q
dB = ---- -------k
4 p r
2

The magnetic field at a point P due to a infinite (very long) straight wire
carrying a current I is proportional to I, and is inversely proportional to the
perpendicular distance R of the point from the wire. The integral J has a value of
2, so that

6



The field dB due to a small element dl of the circle, centered at A has the
magnitude

o
Idl
o
Idl


dB = ----- ------- = ---- ---------
4 p |AP|
2
4 p (R
2
+ a
2
)
This field can be resolved into two components one along the axis OP, and the
other (PS) perpendicular to it. The latter component is exactly cancelled by the
perpendicular component (PS) of the field due to a current and centred at A.
Field along OP has a magnitude

o
I dl
dB
(along OP)
= ---- ----{in }
4 p r
2

o
Idl a
= --- --------------
4 p R
2
+ a
2
(R
2
+ a
2
)
1/2

o
Ia
= --- -------dl
4 p (R
2
+ a
2
)
3/2

7

The magnetic field due to the circular current loop of radius a at a point which
is a distance R away, and is on its axis (i.e. on a line perpendicular to the plane of
the circle and passing through its center) is





o
a
2

B = i (i is the unit vector along OP, the x-axis) tesla (Wb/m
2
)


o
I
B = k tesla (Wb/m
2
)
2 t R

2 (R
2
+ a
2
)
3/2


8


Current carrying conductors exert forces on each other Suppose the magnetic
field at a particular point is B. The force on a small current carrying wire dl
situated at that point is found to be
dF = I dl x B newton
Where I is the electric current passing through the small conducting
segment. This is the magnetic analogue of the electric force law F = qE we notice
that the force proportional to I, dl and B and is perpendicular to both dl and B.

9



The fundamental force on an electric charge q moving with velocity v in a
magnetic field B is called the magnetic Lorentz force.
F N = I (l x B) = N q v x B
Where Nq is the total electrical charge in the current-carrying conductor,
drifting with velocity v.
The total force (often called Lorentz force ) on a charge q moving with
velocity v in an electric field E and magnetic field B is
F = q ( E + v x B )


10


If charges (each of charge q) drift in the conductor with a
speed v, the current I is
I = n q A v
Here A is the cross-sectional area of the conductor and there are n charges per
unit volume. If the current is carried by electrons, as happens most often, the
charges q is just the electric charge e on an electron, and the actual direction of
drift of electrons is opposite to that of the current, i.e. v is negative if I is
positive. Suppose the current flows in a straight conductor l place in a uniform
magnetic field B.
I | l | = I l + [ nAl ] qv
The quantity in square brackets above is just the number N of charges in the
length l, since its volume is |Al| and the number density of charges is n. We thus
have
I l = Nq v

The force equation can be then rewritten as
F
N
= I (l x B) = N q v x B
This fundamental force on an electric charge q moving with velocity v in a
magnetic field B is called the magnetic Lorentz force.
EXPLAINATION
11

The total force (often called Lorentz force) on a charge q moving with
velocity v in an electric field E and magnetic field B is

F = q ( E + v * B ) newton

The magnetic Lorentz force is perpendicular to both the velocity v (or the
direction of motion) and magnetic field B.


12


For the case where Magnetic Field B is

always directed along the tangent to perimeter of a closed curve, and
constant in magnitude all along the perimeter with a value B, the Ampere
circuital
laws states:




B x (perimeter of closed circuit) =
o
x ( Total current passing through any
surface of which the closed circuit is the
perimeter)

13


Forces acting on charges moving in magnetic and electric fields are used to
deflect and focus beams of electrons in many practical devices. Perhaps the most
common (but rather complicated) example of this is the TV tube. The image on
the face of the tube is due to a beam of electrons hitting a coating of a material
called phosphor which emits light on being struck. The beam of electrons is
deflected in a very complex way be electric fields applied to parallel plates
between which the beam passes.







The medium around a charge is always under stress and that a force acts on a
positive or negative charge when placed in that medium this reason in which stress
exists is called an electric field. It is also known as a dielectric field or electrostatic
field.
A static charge produce a radial electric field that aligns grass seeds to show the
field direction. We usually represent the field with the thin solid lines (with
arrows) that we call lines of force.
14




15

Mathematically, it is expressed as :
Q
1
Q
2


F --------

d
2


Q
1
Q
2


or F = K --------



d
2


In S.I. and M.K.S. system, k = 1/4p
o
. Hence the above equation becomes,


Q
1
Q
2


F = ----------

4p
o
d
2


Now,


1 1

-------- = ------------- = 8.9878 x 10
9
= 9 x 10
9
(approx.)
4te
o
4tx 8.854 x 10
-12



16



The torque on a current loop in a uniform magnetic field is used to measure
electrical magnetic field is used to measure electrical currents. This current
measuring device is called a moving coil galvanometer.

The galvanometer consists of a coil of wire often rectangular, carrying the
current to be measured. There are generally many turns in the coil to increase its
sensitivity. The coil is placed in a magnetic field such that the lines of B remain
nearly parallel to the plane of wire as it turns. This is achieved by having a soft
iron cylinder placed at the center of the coil. Magnetic field lines tend to pass
through the iron cylinder, producing the field configuration. The moving coil is
hung from a spring which winds up as the coil rotates; this winding up produces a
restoring torque proportional to the winding up (or twisting) of the spring, i.e. to
the angular deflection of the coil. The coil comes to equilibrium when this
restoring torque k balances the torque due to the magnetic field balances the
torque due to the magnetic field. Since by design field lines are radial,
we have sin q ~ 1, so that for equilibrium
17

k = INBA

NBA
= ------ I
k
Thus the deflection of the galvanometer is proportional to the electric
current I passing through it.

18




INTRODUCTION
Magnetic Effect of Current

In 1800s scientist Hans Oersted observe that, current flowing in a circuit effects the direction of
needles of the compass. Picture, given below, shows his experiment. When the switch is closed
current passes the circuit and direction of the magnet changes under the effect of magnetic field
produced by current




Moreover, Faraday and Joseph Henry are other scientists showing the relation of
magnetic field and current. If you move the magnet placed near the circuit you
produce current or, if you change the current of circuit you can get current in another
circuit placed near it. We will learn all the types of current produced by magnetic
field.
Magnetic Field around a Wire
Current flowing in a linear wire produces magnetic field B=2k.i/d at a distance d.
Here current measured in Ampere, distance measured in meter and k=10
-7
N/Amps.
Direction of the magnetic field produced around the wire is always tangential to the
circle around the wire.