GENERAL PHYSICS 2

QUARTER 3 - MODULE 8

SOURCES OF MAGNETIC FIELDS

LESSON 1: BIOT - SAVART LAW
As shown in the picture, the magnetic field is distorted. This is
because solar storms send ions and plasmas that create their
own magnetic field such that during a solar storm, the
magnetic field of the earth is distorted.

Earth's magnetic field, also known as the geomagnetic field, is

the magnetic field that extends from the Earth's interior out
into space, where it interacts with the solar wind, a stream of
charged particles emanating from the Sun.
MAGNETIC FIELD

analogous to electric field

created by moving electric charges / current
happens due to magnetic dipoles (south, north)
magnetic monopoles doesn't exist
like poles repel, opposite poles attract
The equation used to calculate the magnetic field produced by a
current is known as the Biot-Savart Law. It is an empirical law
named in honor of two scientists, Jean-Baptiste Biot and Felix
Savart who investigated the forces exerted on magnets by
currents.

According to Physics LibreTexts, the Biot-Savart Law allows us

to determine the magnetic field at some position in space that is
due to an electric current.
1. MAGNETIC FIELD B PRODUCED BY A MOVING
CHARGE Q:

This version of the law (equation) enables us to calculate the

magnitude and direction of the magnetic field produced by a
moving point charge.
The magnetic field appears to curl around the moving
charge in a direction given by the right hand if the
thumb indicates the direction of motion, the fingers curl
to indicate the direction of the magnetic field. The
magnitude of the magnetic field is given by the
magnitude of the cross product. The size of the field
diminishes quickly at locations farther from the moving
charge.
Figure 2. Sample visualization in 2D

Figure 3. Sample visualization in

3D of a moving point charge
and its magnetic field at Point P.
2. MAGNETIC FIELD B PRODUCED BY AN
INFINITESIMAL CURRENT ELEMENT, DL:

Equation 2 can be generalized for current-carrying wires and

current loops using the superposition principle. In other words,
by summing over all the infinitesimal current elements of the
wire or loop (integral form), we an integral form as follows:
3. MAGNETIC FIELD B PRODUCED BY A CURRENT-
CARRYING WIRE:
Figure 4. The magnetic field at
point P produced by a current
carrying wire. By RHR, the
direction is out of the page.
Note:
Equations 3, 4, and 5 solves for the magnitude of B, while the
direction can be found using the RHR, with the thumb
pointing to the direction of current while the fingers curl
following the direction of the magnetic field.
4. MAGNETIC FIELD B PRODUCED BY A CIRCULAR
CURRENT LOOP:
As shown in Figure 6, B lies
along the x-y plane and by
symmetry, all y-component of
B will cancel, resulting to a net
B along the axis of the loop.

The net B is given as:

5. MAGNETIC FIELD B PRODUCED BY A CIRCULAR
CURRENT LOOP:

The formula for magnetic field B of a solenoid is given by:

Figure 7. Magnetic field B of a solenoid
LESSON 2:
AMPERE’S
LAW
Who Was André-Marie Ampère?

André-Marie Ampère was a scientist who performed

experiments with forces that act on current-carrying wires. The
experiment was done in the late 1820s, around the same time
when Faraday was working on his Faraday’s Law. Faraday
and Ampere had no idea that their work would be combined by
Maxwell Himself four years later.
The magnetic field in space around an electric current is
proportional to the electric current which serves as its
source, just as the electric field in space is proportional to
the charge which serves as its source. Ampere's Law
states that for any closed loop path, the sum of the length
elements times the magnetic field in the direction of the
length element is equal to the permeability times the
electric current enclosed in the loop.
 A fundamental property of a static magnetic field is that, unlike
an electrostatic field, it is not conservative. A conservative field
is one that does the same amount of work on a particle moving
between two different points regardless of the path chosen.
Magnetic fields do not have such a property. Instead, there is a
relationship between the magnetic field and its source, electric
current. It is expressed in terms of the line integral of and is
known as Ampère’s law. This law can also be derived directly
from the Biot-Savart law. Ampere’s law is given in equation and
statement form:
“The sum of the components of the magnetic field
that are parallel to the infinitesimal segments of any
close loop (amperian loop) is equal to the total
current enclosed (i.e., inside) by that same loop.”
 USING AMPÈRE’S LAW TO CALCULATE THE
MAGNETIC FIELD DUE TO AN INFINITELY LONG
CURRENT CARRYING WIRE

Figure 1. The possible components of

the magnetic field B due to a current I,
which is directed out of the page. The
radial component is zero because the
angle between the magnetic field and
the path is at a right angle.
Consider an arbitrary plane perpendicular to the wire, as shown
in figure 1.The possible magnetic field components in this
plane, and , are shown at arbitrary points on a circle of radius
centered on the wire. Since the field is cylindrically symmetric,
neither nor varies with the position on this circle. Also from
symmetry, the radial lines, if they exist, must be directed either
all inward or all outward from the wire. The radial component
of the magnetic field must be zero because Therefore, we
can apply Ampère’s law to the circular path as shown.
Note:

1.Ampere’s Law is useful for manual calculation if the

problem can be set up to have symmetry. If there is no
symmetry, use the Biot-Savart Law to determine the magnetic
field.
2.Ampere’s Law and Biot-Savart’s Law both relate the
magnetic field to the current. Ampere’s Law rest on the fact
that Biot-Savart’s Law is an inverse square law.
THANK
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