Magnetic field outside a solenoid crossed by a current.

In summary, a student creates an electromagnet by wrapping 320 turns of wire around a wooden cylinder with a diameter of 4.80 cm. When connected to a battery with a current of 4.20 A, the magnetic field at an axial distance much larger than the diameter is 5.0 μT. The Biot-Savart and Ampère's Law were used to solve for the distance, with the final result being z = (µ0i/2π)(Nµ/B)^(1/3).
  • #1
maCrobo
51
1

Homework Statement


A student makes an electromagnet by winding 320 turns of wire around a wooden cylinder of diameter 4,80 cm. The coil is connected to a battery producing a current of 4.20 A in the wire. At what axial distance z>>d will the magnetic field of this dipole be 5.0 μT?

Homework Equations


Biot-Savard Law: (in vector form) B=(μ/4π) i(L x u)/r^2
Maybe Ampère's Law: ∫Bds=μi

The Attempt at a Solution


Unfortunately I can't even imagine how to integrate...
I tried by using Ampère's Law on a circular path around the solenoid. I mean: imagine the solenoid and an imaginary circumference that lays on the same plane of the coils, then inside this circumference there's the current i. I actually treated it as a straight wire because the result is the same and it's wrong...

mhh, help?
 
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  • #2
Well... I did it...
I got confused by "the axial distance", it meant measuring the distance along the z axis starting from the center of the coil (solenoid).
Let's start from the general formula for a circular wire carrying a current i, [itex]B=\frac{µ_{0}iR^{2}}{2\left( R^{2}+z^{2} \right)^{\frac{3}{2}}}[/itex]. Then, we approximate this formula to the case z>>R, so that [itex]B=\frac{µ_{0}iR^{2}}{2z^{3}}[/itex]. This is the result for a singular coil, our solenoid is made by 320 coils whose magnetic dipole we can know. So, I get to [itex]B=\frac{µ_{0}i\pi R^{2}}{2\pi z^{3}}=\frac{µ_{0}i}{2\pi }\frac{Nµ}{z^{3}}[/itex]. From here it's easy to get z because we know B.
 

Related to Magnetic field outside a solenoid crossed by a current.

1. What is a solenoid?

A solenoid is a cylindrical coil of wire that produces a magnetic field when an electric current passes through it.

2. How is the magnetic field outside a solenoid calculated?

The magnetic field outside a solenoid can be calculated using the formula B = μ₀nI, where B is the magnetic field, μ₀ is the permeability of free space, n is the number of turns per unit length of the solenoid, and I is the current passing through the solenoid.

3. How does the direction of the current affect the magnetic field outside a solenoid?

The direction of the current passing through the solenoid determines the direction of the magnetic field outside the solenoid. The right-hand rule can be used to determine the direction of the magnetic field, with the thumb pointing in the direction of the current and the curled fingers pointing in the direction of the magnetic field.

4. Why is the magnetic field outside a solenoid stronger at the ends?

The magnetic field is stronger at the ends of a solenoid because the magnetic field lines are closer together at the ends compared to the middle. This is due to the shape and direction of the magnetic field lines produced by the current passing through the solenoid.

5. Can the magnetic field outside a solenoid be affected by external magnetic fields?

Yes, the magnetic field outside a solenoid can be affected by external magnetic fields. This is known as magnetic induction and occurs when a changing magnetic field from an external source passes through the solenoid, causing a current to be induced in the solenoid and altering its magnetic field.

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