Properties
- When the circuit lies in a linear magnetic medium (like vacuum), the flux linearly depends on the current, according to the Biot-Savart law. Therefore, the self-inductance is simply the proportionality constant between current and flux
- For coil with N turns and current $i$ in each loop, $L=\frac{N\Phi}{i}$. As the flux in turn depends on $N$, the self-inductance is proportional to $N^2$.
- the SI unit of self-inductance is the henry (H) in honor of the American physicist Joseph Henry (1797–1878). $1 \mathrm{H}=1 \mathrm{Wb} / \mathrm{A}=1 \mathrm{V} \cdot \mathrm{s} / \mathrm{A}=1 \Omega \cdot \mathrm{s}=1 \mathrm{J} / \mathrm{A}^{2}$. Analogously to the farad, the henry is a rather large unit of mutual inductance. Typical values of mutual inductance lies in the range of millihenry ($mH$) or microhenry ($\mu H$).
- The self-induced emf in a circuit opposes any change in the current in that circuit.
#Example: Toroidal Solenoid
![[Pasted image 20240306214543.png]] Applying Ampere’s circuital law, it’s straightforward to derive the self-inductance of a toroidal solenoid of radius $R$ and cross-sectional area $A$. We assume a ferromagnetic core of magnetic permeability $\mu$
$$ L=\frac{N \Phi_{B}}{i}=\frac{\mu N^{2} A}{2 \pi R} $$