Measurement of magnetic field through a solenoid model

Dan Kenard C. Albriol1, Jose Sandino A. Bandonil*,2, Vincent John U. Cabigao3

Department of Industrial Engineering - Operations Research, College of Engineering, University of the
Philippines
2
National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Science, University of the Philippines
3
Institute of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines
*Corresponding author: jsbandonil@gmail.com
1

Abstract
Magnetic field are areas in space induced through interactions between
moving charges and a current. For this study, the effect of current and
solenoid turns per unit length on magnetic field strengths was deduced
through solenoid set-ups; magnetic field lines were also developed and
experimental permittivity of free space was compared with theoretical
values. Magnetic field lines were found to move from the solenoids positive
terminal to its negative terminal. A directly proportional relationship between
magnetic field strength and current and between magnetic field strength and
solenoid turn per unit length was established. Permittivity of free space
values of 1.16 x 10-3 mTm/A and 1.47 x 10-3 mTm/A were computed from
data sets on varying current and on solenoid turn per unit length,
respectively.

1. Introduction
Magnetic fields are areas in space that induce force vectors on objects within the area; these are commonly
induced through interactions between moving charges and a current carrying wire. The strength of these fields are
affected by several factors, including current strength, charge strength, and distance from the magnetic field source
[1]. For this study, the effect of varying currents and differing solenoid lengths on magnetic field strength was
determined, along with their accompanying magnetic field lines. In addition, the permittivity of free space 0 was
computed from data taken on magnetic field strengths.

2. Methodology
Two set ups were prepared for the study. The first set-up was used for the determination of magnetic field
direction along the solenoid and the magnetic fields relationship with current moving along a constant length of
a solenoid. A modification of the first set up was also used to find the relationship between the magnetic field and
the turns per length in the solenoid; for this modification, solenoid length was varied and the current set at a
constant value. On the other hand, the second set-up was used to map the magnetic field of a bar magnet,
combinations of two bar magnets, and a solenoid kept at a constant current.
To prepare the first set-up, a slinky was stretched to one metre and held fast through masking tape; the slinky
was used as a makeshift solenoid. A power supply was connected to the ends of the slinky, as shown in Figure 1,
to produce a circuit; the precaution of setting up the power supply at a distance from the slinky was taken to
prevent any interference in the measured magnetic fields from currents in the device. Consequently, the Vernier
Magnetic Field Sensor was prepared through attachment with the Vernier Lab Quest 2.0; sensor settings were
adjusted to HIGH x 200, equivalent to 6.4 mT, and data collection time was set to 10 seconds.

Figure 1. Block diagram for first set up.

The magnetic field direction was determined through insertion of the Vernier probe into the slinky, with the
probes white dot set at the centre of the slinkys cross section. Data collection was started as the power supply
was turned on with a 2.0 A current and the probe was rotated around its own axis, with the probe direction
providing the largest magnetic field strength measurement set as the magnetic field direction inside the slinky.
Additionally, the said probe direction was maintained for the entire experiment.
The relationship between magnetic field strength and current was then deduced through magnetic field
measurements at 0.5 A, 1.0 A, 1.5 A, 2.0 A, and 2.5 A while maintaining a constant slinky length. Magnetic field
measurement were also performed at constant 1.5 A current with varying slinky lengths between 1.25 m, 1.00 m,
0.75 m, 0.50 m, and 0.25 m. Magnetic field relationships were determined through linear plots of the magnetic
strength measurements.
For the second set up, shown in Figure 2, the slinky was extended to 0.5 m and held in place through
masking tape. The power supply was connected to the slinky to close the circuit. Through a 3D field tracer and a
compass, the current inside the slinky was traced as a 2.0 A current flowed through it. Magnetic field lines in a
bar magnet and between combinations of two bar magnets were also traced through a magnetic field model and
a field pattern window.

Figure 2. Block diagram for second set up

3. Results and Discussion

Magnetic fields are formed through interactions between bar magnets, and are visualised through magnetic
field lines. Magnetic field lines show the direction of magnetic induction; additionally, strengths of magnetic
induction can be deduced through field line densities at a specific area [1]. Experiments on magnetic field lines
produced from a single bar magnet show that lines start from the magnets north pole, loop outside the magnet
back to its south pole, and return to the north pole through a direct path inside the magnet, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Magnetic field lines from a bar magnet. The thin lines signify the magnetic field
lines, while the darkly lined rectangle is the bar magnet.

Interactions between different poles of the magnet affect the magnetic field lines around the magnet, thus
affecting their behaviour. A general rule on magnets show that like poles repel like poles, while opposite poles
attract each other [2]; this behaviour is observed in Figure 4, where magnetic field lines between different poles
in two magnets are illustrated.

Figure 4. Magnetic field lines between two bar magnets. (A) Magnetic field lines for bar magnets with opposite poles. (B) Magnetic field
lines for bar magnets with like poles.

Figure 2A shows that bar magnets with attracting poles have dense magnetic field lines in the region between
the magnets; additionally, the field lines emanating from both magnets intersect in the said region. Bar magnets
with repelling poles are shown in Figure 2B, and is characterised by region between the two magnets that is devoid
of any magnetic field lines.
A long wire wound in a way that resembles a helix produces magnetic field line data similar to Figure 1 upon
the current flow. The long wire, called a solenoid, is characterised by an evenly-spaced, parallel, and uniform
magnetic field inside the helix. On the other hand, areas between two adjacent loops and at the exterior produces
no magnetic field, as it is cancelled by the field vector produced by two adjacent loops and the left hand and right
hand side of the solenoid. Figure 5 exhibits the magnetic field inside a solenoid, deduced through the use of a
metallic slinky.

Figure 5. Magnetic field inside a solenoid. Magnetic field lines noticeably point from the positive
terminal to the negative terminal of the solenoid.

Magnetic field strength (mT)

The direction of the magnetic field in Figure 3 was deduced through measurement of the magnetic induction.
Upon pointing the magnetic probe to the left, a positive reading of 0.203 milliTesla (mT), implying that the
magnetic field is pointed to the left of the solenoid set-up.
The effect of the changing current on the magnetic field was measured, with currents varied between 0.5 A,
1.0 A, 1.5 A, 2.0 A, and 2.5 A. Figure 6 exhibits a plot between magnetic field strength and current.
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
y = 0.0986x - 1E-04
R = 0.9998

0.1
0.05
0
0

0.5

1.5

2.5

Current (A)
Figure 6. Plot between magnetic field strength and current.

The plot on Figure 4 suggests a directly proportional relationship between magnetic field strength and current.
This relationship is explained by a derivation (1) of the Amperes law for the solenoids internal magnetic field,

taking into account the total current and number of solenoid turns in a rectangular area; 0 corresponds to the
permittivity of free space, with a theoretical value of 4 x 10 -7 Tm/A; N is the number of turns of the solenoid; l
is the length of the solenoid; and I is the total current [3].

= 0

(1)

Magnetic field strength (mT)

In addition to the total current, the number of solenoid turns per unit length is also directly proportional to the
magnetic field strength. Figure 7 exhibits the derived experimental plot between the magnetic field strength and
the number of turns per unit length of the solenoid, showing the said proportional relationship; during the
experiment, the current was kept at 1.50 A.
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3

y = 0.0022x - 0.0535
R = 0.9918

0.2
0.1
0
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Turns per unit length (1/m)

Figure 7. Plot between magnetic field strength and the turns per unit length of the solenoid.

Based on the equations of the best fit lines provided at Figures 4 and 5 and on equation (1), the experimental
permittivity of free space (0) was computed. For Figure 4, the slope 0.0986 was equated to the permittivity of
free space multiplied by the number of turns in the solenoid per unit length (2), kept at 85 m-1; on the other hand,
the slope 0.0022 from Figure 5 was equated to the permittivity of free space multiplied by the current (3), kept at
1.50 A.

= 0.0986

(2)

0 = 0.0022

(3)

Table 1 provides a comparison between the computed permittivity of free space and its theoretical value.
Permittivity of free space value from Figure 5 has a markedly larger deviation from the theoretical value, which
can be caused by the additional calculation steps needed for data gathering from the said data set; the additional
calculation steps inflate the deviation due to error propagation.
Table 1. A comparison between experimental and theoretical permittivity of free space values.
Data Set
Figure 4
Figure 5

Experimental 0
(mTm/A)
1.16 x 10-3
1.47 x 10-3

Theoretical 0
(mTm/A)
1.26 x 10-3
1.26 x 10-3

% deviation
7.94%
16.67%

4. Conclusion
The study was able to determine the direction of magnetic field lines between magnetic poles as characterised
by vectors moving from the north pole out of the magnet back to the south pole, eventually moving back to the
north pole through a path inside the magnet. The direct proportionality attributed between magnetic field strength
and the current, and between magnetic field strength and number of solenoid turns per unit length was also
confirmed through measurements at varying currents and solenoid lengths, respectively. From these, the
experimental permittivity of free space was computed through plots showing the relationship between magnetic
field strength and current and the relationship between magnetic field strength and solenoid turns per unit length,
with percent deviations of 7.94% and 16.67% obtained in comparison with the theoretical value of 1.26 x 10-3
mTm/A, respectively.

References
1.
2.
3.

P.A. Tipler, Physics, Chapter 36, Worth, New York, 1976.

H.D. Young, R.A. Freedman, Sears and Zemanskys University Physics (12th ed.), Chapter 27, Pearson, San
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D. Halliday, R. Resnick, K.S. Krane, Physics (Volume 2) (5 th ed.), Chapter 30, Wiley, Hoboken, 2001.