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I would like to be able to measure magnetic fields that are generated by nerve impulses in extremities like in fingers. I know that they are very weak: about 100 mV electric potential would give us about current 10 mA if resistance = 1/10 Ohm, but interested in measuring magnetic fields.

How many rounds should you have in a coil to measure 10 mA current?

The jumping of electrons from one level to another may become a problem in this case. However, I am not sure where and how.

Assume that there is a steady current in the situation so Biot-Savart law. The radius of the nerve is r = 0.003m.

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    $\begingroup$ You have a problem with units here, you say you want to measure magnetic fields, but you quote a strength in mV which is a unit of electric potential. $\endgroup$
    – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
    Nov 12, 2012 at 19:29
  • $\begingroup$ @dmckee I fixed the confusion. I think the answer should be get by Biot-Savart law when assuming that r = 0.003m. Let's assume that there is a steady current in the situation, probably wrong assumption, but not sure which law to use for not steady currents. $\endgroup$
    – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영
    Nov 12, 2012 at 20:17
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    $\begingroup$ It's possible to measure very weak magnetic fields, indeed: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQUID $\endgroup$
    – Zo the Relativist
    Nov 12, 2012 at 20:26
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    $\begingroup$ @JerrySchirmer: you should promote your comment to an answer. I was about to add an answer referring to SQUIDs but it would say little more than your comment. The OP obviously hasn't encountered SQUIDs since he's thinking of using a coil. $\endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    Nov 13, 2012 at 9:38
  • $\begingroup$ @JerrySchirmer: I agree with John Rennie. You should promote that into the answer. Just look at the upvotes you got on a Comment (how often are comments upvoted anyway?). $\endgroup$
    – Abhimanyu Pallavi Sudhir
    Sep 29, 2013 at 6:53

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SQUIDs are sensitive enough to measure fields as low as 5 aT (5×10−18 T). So 5 aT is the best one that can be reached at the moment.

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