Ampere’s Law and its Applications

Introduction

To better understand how forces worked on current-carrying wires, Ampere conducted several tests. Students must gain a clear understanding of both the electric and magnetic fields to comprehend Ampere’s law and its applications.

Ampere’s law is defined as the line integral of a magnetic field intensity along a closed path is equal to the current distribution passing through that loop. 

Mathematical Expression of Ampere’s law

Here is a mathematical example of Ampere’s law and its applications to help you gain a better understanding.

Integral form    ∮ B.dl = µ0 I

Differential form  B = 0J

In this equation, 

• B denotes the magnetic field
• I is the current flowing through a loop 
• J is the current flux. 

It displays the formation of a magnetic field around the conductor due to the continuous flow of current. If you explain Ampere’s circuital law in terms of current flow, it will automatically indicate that the conductor is carrying the current.

After understanding the current flow in an electromagnetic field, the next thing you should understand is the magnetic field. To make the concept of Ampere’s law clearer and easier to understand, Gauss’ law is generally one of the first things that are learned. That is simply because understanding Gauss’ law simplifies the process of learning Ampere’s law. 

Applications of Ampere’s law

The law can be used to:

• Determine magnetic induction by a long  wire using Ampere’s Law.
• Within a toroid, you can calculate the magnetic field.
• Calculate the magnetic field produced by a long current-carrying conducting cylinder. 
• Calculate the magnetic field within the conductor. 
• Determine the forces that exist between currents. 

Ampere’s Circuital Law and Magnetic Field: Applications

Since its creation, Ampere’s law has continuously gained importance because of its simplicity. It is most commonly used in manufacturing machines and in real-world conditions.

The machines that work on Ampere’s law mostly include generators, motors, transformers, etc. As a result, understanding these concepts is vital as they form an integral part of a higher level of education. Also, it is used in deriving some other important concepts and principles in physics. 

Ampere’s law is used in:

• Solenoid
• Toroidal solenoid
• Thick wire
• Straight wire
• Cylindrical conductor

It is important to note that the concept of applying this law remains the same at each step, although its implementation is very different. It is the operational idea of a variety of machines and devices, and it is commonly used as a component for other devices. 

To further grasp the Ampere circuital law, students may go through its derivation. This derivation is not only necessary to be understood for Ampere’s law, but it is also a fundamental concept of physics and electricity. 

Magnetic field because of long wire carrying current 

• The magnetic field of a point outside the wire

A long wire-carrying current has a cylindrical form. For example, consider a straight wire AB with radius R and current I. The magnetic induction lines are concentric circles centred on the wire in planes perpendicular to the wire. 

Ampere’s law gives the magnetic field at point P at a distance r from the axis of the wire. Since a long  carrying current wire has a cylindrical form. The magnetic induction lines are concentric circles centred on the wire in planes perpendicular to the wire. 

Hence, Ampere’s law gives the magnetic field at point P at a distance of r from the axis of the coil as:

 ∮ B.dl = µ0 I

B ∮ dl = µ0 I

1. 2 πr =  µ0 I

B = (µ0 I)/(2 πr)  …… (1)

As a result, the magnetic field generated by a long cylindrical wire located outside the wire is inversely proportional to the point’s distance from the wire’s axis. 

At the wire’s surface, there is a magnetic field.

r = R at the wire’s surface. As a result, eqn. (1) becomes 

B = (µ0 I)/(2 πR)    ….. (2)

• The magnetic field at a point inside the wire

If r is less than R, i.e., point P is inside the wire, the symmetry dictates that B is tangent to the concentric circle route. If the current is constant and spread equally over the wire’s cross-section, the current encircled by the route is

I’ =I/(πR2 ) x  πr2 = (Ir2)/R2  

Thus, from Ampere’s law:

 ∮ B.dl = µ0 I

 ∮ B.dl = µ0 I’

B ∮ dl = µ0 I’

1. 2 πr =  µ0 (Ir2)/R2

B = µ0 Ir/(2πR2) ……..(3)

As a result, the magnetic field inside the wire is proportional to the point’s distance from the wire’s axis. 

Because r = 0 at the wire’s axis, the magnetic field on the wire’s axis is zero. 

It depicts the fluctuation of the magnetic field owing to a current-carrying long wire with distance (r) from the wire’s axis. 

• Magnetic field because of a long solenoid-carrying current 

Consider the case of a long solenoid with n turns per unit length. If the turns are equally spaced and carry a current I. 

In the middle area of the solenoid, the field is uniform in cross-section. Therefore, the magnetic field outside an infinitely long solenoid is minimal and can be approximated as zero. 

By applying Ampere’s law to a rectangular route across the solenoid, we will get:

B = µ0 nI ……….. (1)

This is the necessary equation for the magnetic field inside a long solenoid. 

The B vector in equation (1) is independent of the position of the point of observation within the solenoid, the field within the long solenoid is parallel to the axis and uniform. 

Limitations of Ampere’s Law

The fundamental restriction of Ampere’s law is that it only applies in magnetostatics and is only true for steady current, which means that the electric field does not fluctuate over time. On the other hand, Maxwell amended Ampere’s law by introducing a displacement current. It is the quantity D/t in Maxwell’s equations, and it is described in terms of the rate of change of D, the electric displacement field. Maxwell modified Ampere’s law by adding this component to the electric-current term and then utilised the modified version to develop the electromagnetic wave equation, which served as the foundation for Maxwell’s equations. 

Conclusion

The magnetic field in the space around an electrical current is proportional to the electric current, which serves as the source proportional to the charge. How Ampere’s law can be expressed in integral and differential forms has been elaborated in the article mentioned above with details.