Ampere's Law
Use Ampere's law to calculate the magnetic field around a current loop.Copyright 2008 Trixt, Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loop_antenna.jpg
A class demo introduces students to the force between two current carrying loops, comparing the attraction and repulsion between the loops to that between two magnets. After a lecture on Ampere's law (including some sample cases and problems), students begin to use the concepts to calculate the magnetic field around a loop. This is applied to determine the magnetic field of a toroid, imagining a toroid as a looped solenoid. Students use Ampere's law to solve some homework problems.
Understanding Ampere's law enables engineers to calculate the magnetic field around a loop, which is useful in studying the magnetic field produced by MRI magnets. In addition to calculating the magnetic field, engineers use Ampere's law to determine the amount of current and voltage needed to create a functioning circuit board to perform desired tasks.
After this lesson, students should be able to
- Apply Ampere's law to calculate magnetic fields in symmetric situations.
- Describe the magnetic field of a toroid.