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Philip Wood
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A graph of |magnetic flux density|, $B$, along the axis of a circular coil against displacement, $z$, from the centre of the coil is a bell-shaped curve (though not a Gaussian curve) with its maximum at $z=0$).

For two identical coaxial coils carrying equal currents in the same sense, the resultant B at a point, X, on the axis midway between the coils will be roughly constant for a short distance either side of X, because at X itself $\frac{dB}{dz}$ for one coil will be equal and opposite to $\frac{dB}{dz}$ for the other coil.

My last paragraph holds whatever the separation of the coils. But when we stray along the axis from X itself, in general $\frac{dB}{dz}$ will be different for the two coils so the change in B from one will not exactly cancel the change in B due to the other. BUT if we choose X such that $\frac{d_2B}{dz^2}$ is zero, we can stray a little way from X with hardly any change in the resultant B. It turns out that $\frac{d_2B}{dz^2}=0$ is at a point along the coil axis half a coil radius from the coil centre.

Philip Wood
  • 36.6k
  • 3
  • 35
  • 85