The biot-savart law: From infinitesimal to infinite

Jeffrey A. Phillips; Jeff Sanny

doi:10.1119/1.2824000

The biot-savart law: From infinitesimal to infinite

Jeffrey A. Phillips, Jeff Sanny

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss a simple apparatus and accompanying class activity that we have developed to illustrate the Biot-Savart law. Since students in introductory electricity and magnetism courses often find this law a mathematical mystery, we feel that a simple experiment such as this will provide the students a better understanding of the concepts introduced. By collecting data from several finite segment lengths, students are able to infer the 1/ r ² distance dependence of the magnetic field for infinitesimal segments and the 1/ r dependence for infinite wires.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	44-47
Number of pages	4
Journal	Physics Teacher
Volume	46
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2824000
State	Published - Jan 2008

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Education
General Physics and Astronomy

Keywords

magnetic fields

Disciplines

Physics

Access to Document

10.1119/1.2824000

https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/phys_fac/53

Cite this

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abstract = " In this paper, we discuss a simple apparatus and accompanying class activity that we have developed to illustrate the Biot-Savart law. Since students in introductory electricity and magnetism courses often find this law a mathematical mystery, we feel that a simple experiment such as this will provide the students a better understanding of the concepts introduced. By collecting data from several finite segment lengths, students are able to infer the 1/ r 2 distance dependence of the magnetic field for infinitesimal segments and the 1/ r dependence for infinite wires.",

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