Biot-Savart Law: Difference between revisions

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The Biot-Savart Law is an equation that describes the quantitative relationship between an electrical current and the magnetic field it generates. Page in progress by Andrea Boyd. [contd]
The Biot-Savart Law is an equation that describes the quantitative relationship between an electrical current and the magnetic field it generates. This law is seen as a magnetic equivalent of Coulomb's Law, and states that the magnetic field decreases with the square of a distance from a point of current.Page in progress by Andrea Boyd. [contd]


==The Main Idea==
==The Main Idea==
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===A Mathematical Model===
===A Mathematical Model===


The general formula for this is <math>{\frac{d\vec{p}}{dt}}_{system} = \vec{F}_{net}</math> where '''p''' is the momentum of the system and '''F''' is the net force from the surroundings.
The general formula for a single charge is <math>\vec B=\frac{\mu_0}{4\pi}\frac{q\vec v\times\hat r}{r^2} </math> where <math> \mu_0 </math> is the constant <math> 1e-7 \frac{tesla * m^2}{coloumb * \frac{m}{s}} </math> exactly. <math> \vec q </math> is the velocity of the point charge <math> q </math> and <math> \hat r </math> is the unit vector pointing from the source towards the observation (remember <math> r= r(obs)-r(source) <\math>)


===A Computational Model===
===A Computational Model===

Revision as of 13:53, 30 November 2015

The Biot-Savart Law is an equation that describes the quantitative relationship between an electrical current and the magnetic field it generates. This law is seen as a magnetic equivalent of Coulomb's Law, and states that the magnetic field decreases with the square of a distance from a point of current.Page in progress by Andrea Boyd. [contd]

The Main Idea

An electron current flowing through a conductor, such as a wire, or a moving electric charge produces a detectable magnetic field. The Biot-Savart law describes this phenomenon by relating the magnetic field to the magnitude, direction, length, and proximity of the electric current.

A Mathematical Model

The general formula for a single charge is [math]\displaystyle{ \vec B=\frac{\mu_0}{4\pi}\frac{q\vec v\times\hat r}{r^2} }[/math] where [math]\displaystyle{ \mu_0 }[/math] is the constant [math]\displaystyle{ 1e-7 \frac{tesla * m^2}{coloumb * \frac{m}{s}} }[/math] exactly. [math]\displaystyle{ \vec q }[/math] is the velocity of the point charge [math]\displaystyle{ q }[/math] and [math]\displaystyle{ \hat r }[/math] is the unit vector pointing from the source towards the observation (remember <math> r= r(obs)-r(source) <\math>)

A Computational Model

How do we visualize or predict using this topic. Consider embedding some vpython code here Teach hands-on with GlowScript

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History

In 1820 two Frenchman, Felix Savart and Jean-Baptiste Biot, published Note sur le magnétisme de la pile de Volta and presented it to the Academy of Sciences in what became known as the Biot-Savart Law. Savart had been trained as a medical doctor, but began focusing more on physics rather than patients. He became interested in acoustics, building his own violins and conducting research on sound, and attended a lecture in Paris given by French mathematician, Jean-Baptiste Biot.

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