Components of a magnetic field in a uniform wire

In summary, you have two wires, each with current I running in opposite directions. The magnetic field inside one wire is B=-μI/(2 pi r) and the magnetic field inside the other wire is B=μI(y+β)/(2 pi a^2).
  • #1
ItsFootballNo
5
0

Homework Statement



A straight wire, of current I, radius a is centred at (α,β). What are the x and y components of the magnetic field B inside one of the wires?

Homework Equations



∮B.dl = μ I_enc
∫∫J.dS = I

The Attempt at a Solution



Any point (x,y) in the wire has a constant current density J.

Hence:
∫∫J.dS = J pi r^2 = J pi ((x-α)^2 + (y-β)^2)

The wire has total current I and the current density J is uniform, hence:
J = I / (pi a^2)

Therefore:
I_enc = ∫∫J.dS = I ((x-α)^2 + (y-β)^2)/a^2

Therefore:
∮B.dl = μ I ((x-α)^2 + (y-β)^2)/a^2

It is from here that I get stuck, mostly how to evalutate the integral without it becoming one big equation without staying in its components. If I was just looking at magnitude of the magnetic field, I know we could show:
∮B.dl = B (2 pi r)
=> B = μ I r / (2 pi a^2)

But looking at the answers, just the y component comes out as:
B_y = μ I (x-α) / (2 pi a^2) - μ I x / (2 pi [(x+α)^2 + (y+β)^2])

Am I going about this the wrong way or are there any tips on how to get to the next step? Any help is greatly appreciated!
 
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  • #2
ItsFootballNo said:

Homework Statement



A straight wire, of current I, radius a is centred at (α,β). What are the x and y components of the magnetic field B inside one of the wires?

Homework Equations



∮B.dl = μ I_enc
∫∫J.dS = I

The Attempt at a Solution



Any point (x,y) in the wire has a constant current density J.

Hence:
∫∫J.dS = J pi r^2 = J pi ((x-α)^2 + (y-β)^2)

The wire has total current I and the current density J is uniform, hence:
J = I / (pi a^2)

Therefore:
I_enc = ∫∫J.dS = I ((x-α)^2 + (y-β)^2)/a^2

Therefore:
∮B.dl = μ I ((x-α)^2 + (y-β)^2)/a^2

It is from here that I get stuck, mostly how to evalutate the integral without it becoming one big equation without staying in its components. If I was just looking at magnitude of the magnetic field, I know we could show:
∮B.dl = B (2 pi r)
=> B = μ I r / (2 pi a^2)

But looking at the answers, just the y component comes out as:
B_y = μ I (x-α) / (2 pi a^2) - μ I x / (2 pi [(x+α)^2 + (y+β)^2])

Am I going about this the wrong way or are there any tips on how to get to the next step? Any help is greatly appreciated!
Hello ItsFootballNo. Welcome to PF !   (I see that you posted in PF once before without getting any reply.)

Your first sentence indicates to me that there is more than one wire. What can you tell us about that?
 
  • #3
Apologies, the other wire is centred at (-α,-β), also with radius a.
 
  • #4
The other wire also has current -I (that is, it is parallel but running in the opposite direction)
 
  • #5
I have been working on it for the past hour or so, and seem to have come up with some sort of solution, but it isn't the most elegant one.

I looked at the case of the magnetic field inside just one of the wires (say, in this case, the one to the right, centred at (α,β) and solved for the magnitude of B. I assumed that:
vec(B) = (B_x, B_y, B_z) = (-B sin(t), B cos(t), 0) = (-B(y-β)/r, B(x-α)/r, 0) = (-μI(y-β)/(2 pi a^2), μI(x-α)/(2 pi a^2), 0)

I then looked at the contribution of the other wire which, as the point we're inspecting is outside of the wire, is:
B=-μI/(2 pi r) [The negative sign arising from the current being negative in this wire]

Again looking at the effect at a point (x,y)
vec(B) = (B_x, B_y, B_z) = (-B sin(t), B cos(t), 0) = (-B(y+β)/r, B(x+α)/r, 0) = (μI(y+β)/(2 pi ((y+β)^2 + (x+α)^2)), (μI(x+α)/(2 pi ((y+β)^2 + (x+α)^2)), 0) [y+β and x+α arising from the new centre of (-α,-β)]

Finding the sum, using the superposition principle, of these gives a correct looking solution.

I just have a problem in that I've just used: vec(B) = |B| theta-hat and subbed in from there. Does this represent a satisfactory means to solve the solution or is there a better method when doing the integral in Ampere's Law?
 

1. What is a uniform wire?

A uniform wire is a wire that has a consistent cross-sectional area and material composition throughout its length. This means that the wire has the same properties and behavior at any point along its length.

2. What are the components of a magnetic field?

The components of a magnetic field are the magnetic flux lines, which represent the direction and strength of the magnetic field, and the magnetic field lines, which represent the magnetic force on a charged particle moving through the field.

3. How is a magnetic field created in a uniform wire?

A magnetic field is created in a uniform wire when an electric current flows through it. This is because electric current is made up of moving charged particles, which create a magnetic field around the wire.

4. What factors affect the strength of a magnetic field in a uniform wire?

The strength of a magnetic field in a uniform wire is affected by the amount of current flowing through the wire, the distance from the wire, and the material of the wire. The strength of the magnetic field also decreases as the distance from the wire increases.

5. How can the direction of a magnetic field in a uniform wire be determined?

The direction of a magnetic field in a uniform wire can be determined by using the right-hand rule. This rule states that if your right hand is wrapped around the wire in the direction of the current flow, then your thumb will point in the direction of the magnetic field.

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