Magnetic flux between 2 parallel wires

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the magnetic flux between two parallel wires carrying current I in opposite directions, with a separation distance d and radius a. The correct solution for the magnetic flux is given by the formula: Φb = μo l I / π ln((d-a)/a). The confusion arose from two different approaches to the line integral calculation, where one participant initially miscalculated their integral, leading to an incorrect expression for the flux. Ultimately, both methods converge to the same result upon proper evaluation of the integrals.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of magnetic fields generated by current-carrying wires
  • Familiarity with line integrals in vector calculus
  • Knowledge of logarithmic functions and their properties
  • Basic principles of electromagnetism, specifically Ampère's Law
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of Ampère's Law and its applications
  • Learn about line integrals in the context of electromagnetic fields
  • Explore the concept of magnetic flux and its significance in physics
  • Investigate the effects of wire separation and current direction on magnetic fields
USEFUL FOR

Students and educators in physics, electrical engineers, and anyone interested in understanding the principles of electromagnetism and magnetic field calculations.

lowea001
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Homework Statement


Consider two long parallel wires each of radius a with a separation distance d between them. They carry current I in opposite directions. Calculate the magnetic flux through a section of length l, ignoring magnetic field inside the wires.

My confusion lies in trying to reconcile two different approaches to solving this problem. The solution provided takes the following approach: calculate the flux due to one wire in this area and then just double it i.e. take the line integral from a to d - a of the magnetic field and multiply by l (and then double this value). My own approach was to calculate the strength of the magnetic field due to both wires at a distance r, take the line integral from a to d/2, multiply the value by l (and then double this value). However, I cannot get the same solution by doing this.

Their solution: \Phi_b = \frac{\mu_o l I}{\pi}ln\left(\frac{d-a}{a}\right)
My solution: \Phi_b = \frac{\mu_o lI}{\pi}ln\left(\frac{d^2}{4a(d-a)}\right)

Homework Equations


For a long wire carrying current I, B = \frac{\mu_o I}{2\pi r}

The Attempt at a Solution


Their solution: \Phi_b = 2 \times \frac{\mu_o lI}{2\pi}\int_{a}^{d-a}\frac{1}{r}dr = \frac{\mu_o lI}{\pi}ln\left(\frac{d-a}{a}\right)
My solution: \Phi_b = 2 \times \frac{\mu_o lI}{2\pi}\int_{a}^{d/2}\left(\frac{1}{r}+\frac{1}{d-r}\right)dr = \frac{\mu_o lI}{\pi}ln\left(\frac{d^2}{4a(d-a)}\right)

I apologize in advance if this is a trivial maths error on my part, but I'm hoping that I am correct in my intuition that these two approaches should give the same result.
 
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Haha five seconds after posting this I found my own mistake but I have decided to leave this up here as a demonstration of how the approaches eventually correspond to the same answer: my mistake was in evaluating the integral \int_{a}^{d/2}\left(\frac{1}{r}+\frac{1}{d-r}\right)dr = ln\left(\frac{d}{2a}\right) + \left(-ln\left(\frac{d}{2(d-a)}\right)\right)=ln\left(\frac{d-a}{a}\right), as expected. I missed the negative sign in evaluating the integral of \frac{1}{d-r}, whoops.
 

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