Current loop as a Magnetic Dipole and Its Dipole Moment
When a current passes through a circular loop it is considered a magnetic dipole. It works through the geometry of the ring which tries to align the magnetic object around it and creates a magnetic field or lines of the magnetic field. The magnetic dipole moment of a current loop is defined as the product of the current in the loop and the area of the loop.
μ = nIA
where,
n is the number of turns in the loop
I is the current in the loop
A is the area inside the loop
The SI unit of the dipole moment is ampere-meter2, and the cgs unit for the dipole moment of a current loop is erg/gauss. Where erg is the unit of energy and gauss is the unit of magnetic flux density.
Current Loop as a Magnetic Dipole
When a charge move it generates an electric field and the rate of flow of charge is the current in the electric field. This is the basic concept in Electrostatics. The magnetic effect of electric current is the other important concept related to moving electric charges. Magnetism is generated due to the flow of current. Magnetic fields exert force on the moving charges and at the same time on other magnets, all of which have moving charges. When the charges are stationary, their magnetic field doesn’t affect the magnet but when charges move, they produce magnetic fields that exert force on other magnets.
The movement of charges generates magnetism around a conductor. Generally, magnetism is a property shown by magnets and produced by moving charges, which results in objects being attracted or pushed away.