The difference between Ampere's law & Biot-Savart Law

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
2 replies · 5K views
PhiowPhi
Messages
203
Reaction score
8
When considering the magnitude of the magnetic field at a certain point (##P##) away from an infinite/finite wire, I can't understand how an infinite wire would generate a stronger magnetic field (##B##) in contrast to a finite wire that has the same dimensions and current applied, at the same point (##P##). I understand how to use the equations, yet I can't fully understand the concept.

Considering the case of an infinite wire:
Case1.jpg

At the point the magnetic field is point out of the page.
Case of the finite wire:
Case2ab.jpg


Where (A) is the current element region of focus.
Why are the different considering the same ##I## and dimensions for the two?
I found from other sources that all the current elements in the wire would contribute to the magnitude at point(##P##) but how is that so? If the magnetic field created by the current element loops around it:
Side_View.jpg

If so, how can regions B,C contribute to point(##P##) for the two wires?
Case2.jpg

For the finite wire:

Case2b.jpg
 
Physics news on Phys.org
PhiowPhi said:
If the magnetic field created by the current element loops around it:
That is not the full magnetic field induced by the wire element. The full magnetic field is 3-dimensional, it just has its strongest region orthogonal to the wire.

You can use Biot-Savart to calculate that.
 
mfb said:
The full magnetic field is 3-dimensional, it just has its strongest region orthogonal to the wire.

For some reason I can't imagine that...