Tutorial 6
Tutorial 6
(a) Find the magnetic field at the center of a square loop, which carries a
steady current I. Let R be the distance from center to side (shown below).
(b) Find the field at the center of a regular n-sided polygon, carrying a steady
current I. Again, let R be the distance from the center to any side.
(c) Check that your formula reduces to the field at the center of a circular loop,
in the limit n ! 1.
6. Find the magnetic field at point P for each of the steady current configura-
tions shown in the figure.
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8. A thick slab extending from z = a to z = +a carries a uniform volume
current J = J x̂ (shown below). Find the magnetic field, as a function of z, both
inside and outside the slab.
9. Find the magnetic vector potential of a finite segment of straight wire, car-
rying a current I. Put the wire on the z axis, from z1 to z2 and use
Z Z
µ0 I 0 µ0 I 1 0
A= dl = dl (2)
4⇡ r 4⇡ r
Check that your answer is consistent with
µ0 I
B= (sin✓2 sin✓1 ) (3)
4⇡s
10. If B is uniform, show that A(r) = 12 (r ⇥ B) works. That is, check that
r · A = 0 and r ⇥ A = B. Is this result unique, or are there other functions
with the same divergence and curl?
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2. Starting from the Lorentz force law, in the form
Z
Fmag = I(dl ⇥ B) (4)
show that the torque on any steady current distribution (not just a square loop)
in a uniform field B is m ⇥ B
(b) using
F = r(m · B) (6)
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7. Suppose the field inside a large piece of magnetic material is B0 , so that
H0 = (1/µ0 )B0 M.
(a) Now a small spherical cavity is hollowed out of the material (shown below).
Find the field at the center of the cavity, in terms of B0 and M. Also find H at
the center of the cavity, in terms of H0 and M.
(b) Do the same for a long needle-shaped cavity running parallel to M.
(c) Do the same for a thin wafer-shaped cavity perpendicular to M.
8. A coaxial cable consists of two very long cylindrical tubes, separated by lin-
ear insulating material of magnetic susceptibility m . A current I flows down
the inner conductor and returns along the outer one; in each case the current
distributes itself uniformly over the surface (shown below). Find the magnetic
field in the region between the tubes. As a check, calculate the magnetization
and the bound currents, and confirm that (together, of course, with the free
currents) they generate the correct field.