Magnetic force between current-carrying wires

Observational fact: current-carrying conducting wires exhibit attraction or repulsion depending on the
directions of the current ow.

When the current is steady (i.e. when the charge

density in the wire does not change with time), the
magnetic eld created by the current at a position r ⃗ is
I⃗
⃗
B (⃗ r)⃗ =
μ I × r ̂
4π ∫ r 2
0
dl Biot-Savart law

dl ⃗
r⃗ −7 2
μ0 = 4π × 10 N/A
B⃗
free-space permeability

Magnetic force on the second wire:

⃗ = dq(v⃗ × B )⃗ = λdl(v⃗ × B )⃗ = I ⃗ × B ⃗ dl = I d l ⃗ × B ⃗
∫ ∫ ∫ ∫
F mag
Attraction Repulsion
[since I ⃗ = λv]⃗
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 Line, surface and volume current densities

⃗
B (⃗ r)⃗ =
μ I × r ̂
4π ∫ r 2
I⃗ 0
dl
Line current

⃗
B (⃗ r)⃗ =
μ K × r ̂
4π ∫ r 2
0
K⃗
ds
Surface current S
⃗
K ⃗=
d I
dl⊥

⃗
B (⃗ r)⃗ =
μ J × r ̂
4π ∫ r 2
0 dI ⃗
dτ J ⃗=
J⃗ da⊥
Volume current dτ′
We’ll use dτ instead of dv to avoid confusion with
velocity v

 Divergence of magnetic field

z Consider a uniform volume current density J(⃗ r′⃗ ) inside

the volume shown in the gure.
P r ⃗ = r P⃗ − r′⃗
J(⃗ r′⃗ ) Magnetic eld at point P is
r P⃗ dτ′
⃗
B (⃗ r)⃗ =
μ J( r′
⃗ ) × r ̂
4π ∫
0
r′⃗ dτ′
r2
o y Take divergence of B (⃗ r)⃗
∇⃗ ⋅ B ⃗ = ∇ ⃗ ⋅ (J(⃗ r′⃗ ) × 2 )dτ′
μ r ̂
4π ∫
0
r

Use ∇ ⃗ ⋅ ( A ⃗ × B )⃗ = B ⃗ ⋅ ( ∇ ⃗ × A )⃗ − A ⃗ ⋅ ( ∇ ⃗ × B )⃗
x
∇⃗ ⋅ B ⃗ = ⃗ × J)⃗ − J ⃗ ⋅ ∇ ⃗ ×
μ r ̂ r ̂
∫ [ ( )]
0
⋅ ( ∇ dτ′
4π r 2
⇓ r 2

⇓
∇⃗ ⋅ B ⃗ = 0
0
⃗ ⃗
∇ ≡ ∇ (x, y, z) ∇ ⃗ r ̂
× 2 =0
r
J ⃗ ≡ J(x′⃗ , y′, z′)













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 The continuity equation

Consider a closed volume with uniform volume current density J,⃗ and
uniform volume charge density ρ.
J⃗
∮
dτ
Total current coming out of the closed volume: Iout = J ⃗⋅ ds ⃗

Since the total charge is conserved, Iout must be equal to the rate of
decrease of the charge inside the volume

∂Qin
∮
J ⃗⋅ ds ⃗ = −
⇓
ds
∂t

Apply divergence theorem on the LHS: ∫ ⃗ ∂ ∂ρ

∫ ∫
∇ ⋅ J ⃗ dτ = − ρdτ = − dτ
V ∂t V V ∂t

∇⃗ ⋅ J ⃗= −
∂ρ
Continuity equation
∂t

= 0, we have ∇ ⃗ ⋅ J ⃗ = 0
∂ρ
When steady current ows:
∂t
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 Curl of magnetic field

z Magnetic eld at point P is

P r ⃗ = r P⃗ − r′⃗ ⃗
B (⃗ r)⃗ =
μ J( r′
⃗ ) × r ̂
4π ∫
0
dτ′
J(⃗ r′⃗ ) r2
r P⃗
Take curl of B (⃗ r)⃗
dτ′

∇⃗ × B ⃗ = ∇ ⃗ × (J(⃗ r′⃗ ) × 2 )dτ′

μ r ̂
4π ∫
r′⃗ 0
r
o y
Use ∇ ⃗ × ( A ⃗ × B )⃗ = ( B ⃗ ⋅ ∇ ⃗ ) A ⃗ − ( A ⃗ ⋅ ∇ ⃗ ) B ⃗ + A (⃗ ∇ ⃗ ⋅ B )⃗ − B (⃗ ∇ ⃗ ⋅ A )⃗

Here A ⃗ = J(⃗ r′⃗ ), B ⃗ =

r ̂
r2
x
∇ ⃗ × (J(⃗ r′⃗ ) × 2 ) = ( 2 ⋅ ∇ ⃗ )J(⃗ r′⃗ ) − (J(⃗ r′⃗ ) ⋅ ∇ ⃗ ) 2 + J(⃗ r′⃗ )( ∇ ⃗ ⋅ 2 ) − 2 ( ∇ ⃗ ⋅ J(⃗ r′⃗ ))
r ̂ r ̂ r ̂ r ̂ r ̂
r r r r r
⇓ ⇓
0 0
Since ∇ ⃗ ≡ ∇ ⃗ (x, y, z) J ⃗ ≡ J(x′ ⃗ , y′, z′)

















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 Curl of magnetic field

∇ ⃗ × (J(⃗ r′⃗ ) × 2 ) = − (J(⃗ r′⃗ ) ⋅ ∇ ⃗ ) 2 + J(⃗ r′⃗ )( ∇ ⃗ ⋅ 2 )

r ̂ r ̂ r ̂
r r r
⇓
3 3
4πδ ( r)⃗ δ ( r)⃗ = Dirac delta function in 3D

∇ ⃗ × (J(⃗ r′⃗ ) × 2 ) = (J(⃗ r′⃗ ) ⋅ ∇′⃗ ) 3

r ̂ r ⃗
Since r ⃗ = r P⃗ − r′⃗ , ∇ ⃗ → − ∇′⃗
r r
Consider the x component of the above term:
⃗ r′⃗ ) ⋅ ∇′⃗ ⃗⋅ ⃗ ⋅ J(⃗ r′⃗ )
x − x′ x − x′ x − x′
( ) r3 ( r3 ) ( r3 )
J( P
= ∇′ P
J(⃗ r′⃗ ) − P
∇′
⇓
For steady currents
∇′⃗ ⋅ ( 3 J(⃗ r′⃗ )) dτ′ =
μ0 x − x′ x − x′
4π ∫V ∮S r 3
P P
J ⃗ ⋅ d s′⃗
r
This surface S is large and contains the whole volume with currents inside.
So on this surface, J ⃗ = 0

⃗ ⃗ μ
4π ∫
∇×B = 0
J(⃗ r′⃗ ) 4πδ 3( r)⃗ dτ′ = μ0 J(⃗ r)⃗

























 Ampere’s law

∇ ⃗ × B ⃗ = μ0 J(⃗ r)⃗ Ampere’s law

Take surface integral on both sides

( ∇ ⃗ × B )⃗ ⋅ d s ⃗ = μ0
∫S ∫S
J(⃗ r)⃗ ⋅ d s ⃗ = μ0 Ienc

B ⃗ ⋅ d l ⃗ = μ0 Ienc
∮L
Integral form of Ampere’s law

Application of Ampere’s law: Find magnetic eld due to a current-carrying wire

I⃗ B ⃗ ⋅ d l ⃗ = B d l ⃗ = B ⋅ 2πr
∮L ∮
LHS :

dl ⃗
RHS : μ0I
B⃗=
r⃗ μ I
0
ϕ̂
B⃗ 2πr
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Homework:

1. Calculate the magnetic force between two current-carrying loops and show that Newton’s third
law is satis ed by the magnetic forces.

2. Use Ampere’s law to calculate the magnetic eld due to a solenoid with n turns per unit length.

3. Use Ampere’s law to calculate the magnetic eld due to a toroid of total N turns.
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