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IMPORTANT Hi! What is the difference between B, the magnetic field (in teslas) and H, the magnetic field strength (in Amps per meter) how do I tell the difference in a formula and when specifying the value of B or H in the result of a calculation - what do I put down, B or H and for what, how do I know? Thank you so much!
Question Date: 2008-08-26
Answer 1:

The difference between B and H is a bit subtle. B is basically how strong the magnetic field is in vacuum, so when there's absolutely no matter around. H is like the strength of the magnetic field within a material. See the answer to the first question to see how they relate in terms of an equation. For the diamagnetic levitation equation I gave you, you would want to use B, since that's what the equation is asking for. If you're ever not sure, be careful to look at the units. T and A/m are completely different units, so you'll only be able to use B or H, never both. Unfortunately this is a very annoying and tricky part of studying magnetic fields. I think for the purposes of your experiment, you'll want to mostly be using B.



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