Class XII/PHYSICS

MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT

Introduction
The branches of electricity and magnetism were unified by scientists like Oersted, Rowland, Faraday,
Maxwell and Lorentz.
The branch of physics covering a combined study of electricity and magnetism is known as
electromagnetism or electrodynamics.

Oersted’s Observation
In 1819 A.D., Oersted, a school teacher from Denmark, observed that magnetic field is produced
around a wire carrying electric current. If a conducting wire is kept parallel to the magnetic needle and
electric current is passed through it, needle gets deflected and aligns itself perpendicularly to the
length of the wire.

Biot-Savart’s Law
Consider a conductor XY carrying a current I. Let P be a point at a distance r from the element of length

dl . Biot and Savart found that the small magnetic field produced at P due to the current flowing
through the elementary portion AB is
i) Directly proportional to the current I,
dB ∝ I
ii) Directly proportional to the length of the elementary portion
dB ∝ dl
iii) Directly proportional to sine of the angle between the direction of the flow
of the current and the line joining the elementary portion to the observation point.
dB ∝ sin θ
iv) Inversely proportional to the square of the distance r of the point P from the elementary
portion
1
dB ∝
r2
Combining all the above factors, we get-
Idl sin θ
dB ∝
r2
Idl sin θ
dB = k , where k is the constant of proportionality that depends on the medium
r2
and the system of units used.
µ0
k= = 10 −7 TA −1 m , µ0 is called the absolute permeability of free space or vacuum.
4π
Therefore, the Biot-Savart’s Law may be expressed as-
µ 0 Idl sin θ
dB = ----------------- (1)
4π r2
Above equation gives the magnitude of the magnetic field produced due to a small current element.
If r̂ is the unit vector along CP, then the small magnetic field(both in magnitude and direction)
produced at P is given by-

 µ0 Id l × rˆ
dB = -------------------- (2)
4π r2

If CP= r , then the above equation may be expressed as-

 µ0 Id l × r
dB = ------------------- (3)
4π r3

On integrating the above equation, we get the total intensity at the point P due to the entire length of
the conducting wire as

 
The direction of dB is perpendicular to the plane formed by dl and r .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SRHSS/2010/ MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT Page 1 of 2 Prepared
by: Sandhya.K
 Class XII/PHYSICS
Rule to find the direction of the magnetic field

RIGHT HAND THUMB RULE: If we hold the conductor in the palm of the right hand so that the thumb
points in the direction of the current, then the direction in which the fingers curl, gives the direction of
the magnetic field lines.

Some Applications of Biot-Savart’s Law

(a) Magnetic field due to a straight conductor carrying electric current

Consider a long straight conductor XY carrying a current I. Let P be a point located at a
perpendicular distance PM=a, from the conductor, where the magnetic field has to be found.
Consider a small element AB of length dl . Suppose PA= r and ∠PAM = θ .
According to Biot-Savart’s law, the magnetic field at P due to the element AB is
given by:

 µ0 Id l × rˆ
dB =
4π r2
µ 0 Idl sin θ
Magnitude of the magnetic field is given by: dB = ---- (1)
4π r2
Since AB is infinitesimally small, ∠PAM = ∠PBM = θ
Draw AN perpendicular to PB. In right angled ΔABN,
AN
sin θ =
AB
AN = AB sin θ = dl sin θ − − − ( 2)
Let ∠ MPA =φ and ∠BPA = dφ
Then, AN = rd φ ---- (3) (using length of an arc= radius x angle at the centre)
From equations (2) and (3), we get-
dl sin θ = rd φ ----------- (4)
Using equation (4) in equation (1), we get-
µ 0 Irdφ µ 0 Idφ
dB = = ----------- (5)
4π r 2 4π r
From right angled triangle AMP, we have-
MP a a
cos φ = = ⇒r =
AP r cos φ
Substituting for r in equation (5), we get-
µ 0 Idφ µ I cos φdφ
dB = = 0
4π a 4π a
cos φ
Join PX and PY. Let ∠MPX = −φ2 (in anticlockwise direction) and ∠MPY = φ1 . Then the
magnetic field due to the whole length is given by-

φ1 φ1 φ
µ 0 I cos φdφ µ 0 I 1
B= ∫ dB = ∫φ
−φ 2 − 4π a
=
4π a −∫φ2
cos φdφ
2

µ I µ I µ I
B = 0 sin φ −φ = 0 [ sin φ1 − sin ( − φ 2 ) ] = 0 [ sin φ1 + sin φ 2 ] , since sin ( - φ ) = sin φ
φ

4π a 2
4π a 4π a

µ0 I
B= [ sin φ1 + sin φ 2 ] ------------------- (6)
4π a
It gives the magnetic field due to a current carrying straight conductor of finite length.

If the conductor is infinitely long, then φ1 = φ2 = π 2 . Hence, the magnetic field at P is given by
µ0 I  π π µ I µ 0 2I
the expression- B = sin + sin  = 0 .2 ⇒B=
4π a  2 2  4π a 4π a
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SRHSS/2010/ MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC CURRENT Page 2 of 2 Prepared
by: Sandhya.K