Ampere's Law with an open cylindrical shell

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on applying Ampere's Law to a long, hollow conducting pipe carrying a uniform current I. For the region inside the pipe (r < R), the magnetic field is zero due to no enclosed current (Iencircled = 0). Outside the pipe, the magnetic field configuration resembles that of a solenoid, where the magnetic field can be calculated using Ampere's Law, specifically considering the geometry and direction of the current. The user seeks clarification on integrating the magnetic field outside the shell, emphasizing the importance of understanding the relationship between the current and the magnetic field direction.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Ampere's Law and its mathematical formulation.
  • Familiarity with magnetic fields generated by current-carrying conductors.
  • Knowledge of cylindrical coordinates and their application in electromagnetism.
  • Concept of enclosed current and its significance in calculating magnetic fields.
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  • Study the application of Ampere's Law in different geometries, particularly cylindrical shells.
  • Learn about the magnetic field of a solenoid and its derivation using Ampere's Law.
  • Explore the concept of enclosed current in various configurations and its impact on magnetic field calculations.
  • Review examples of magnetic field calculations for hollow conductors and their implications in physics.
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Students of electromagnetism, physics educators, and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of magnetic fields in current-carrying conductors, particularly in cylindrical geometries.

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Homework Statement


A long, hollow conducting pipe of radius R and length L carries a uniform current I flowing around the pipe. Find expressions for the magnetic field (a) inside and (b) outside the pipe. Hint: What configuration does this pipe resemble?


Homework Equations


Ampere's Law: \ointB dr = \mu Iencircled
(mu is the permeability constant, and the integral is over the dot product of B and dr)


The Attempt at a Solution


I am looking at the open cylindrical shell from an open end, having current going counter-clockwise.

(a) For r < R, Iencircled = 0, and therefore so must be the magnetic field.

(b) This is where I need help (particularly with using the hint given). Since the magnetic field is pointing into the page outside of the shell, my B (dot product) dr will always be 0, because dr is encircling the current, and B is going into the page, which makes the angle between them 90, and cos90 = 0. However, this cannot be because Iencircled = I.

How can I look at it to rightfully configure this integral? This is also making me question my answer for (a), because there should still be a B field coming out of the page on the inside of the shell, but the current is not inside the closed path =S

Thanks!
 
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Model this as a solenoid with infinitely thin wire wrapped around the cylinder.
 

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