If denotes the specific resistance of the substance per unit of volume, the electromotive force at any point is , and this may be expressed in terms of the electric potential and the vector potential by equations (B), Art. 598,
,
(4)
or
.
(5)
Comparing the coefficients of like powers of in equations (3) and (5),
,
(6)
,
(7)
.
(8)
Hence we may write
,
(9)
, , … .
(10)
690.] To find the total current , we must integrate over the section of the wire whose radius is ,
(11)
Substituting the value of from equation (3), we obtain
.
(12)
The value of at any point outside the wire depends only on the total current , and not on the mode in which it is distributed within the wire. Hence we may assume that the value of at the surface of the wire is , where is a constant to be determined by calculation from the general form of the circuit. Putting when , we obtain
.
(13)
If we now write , is the value of the conductivity of unit of length of the wire, and we have