Electromagnetic induction

Electromagnetic induction is the production of a potential difference (voltage) across aconductor when it is exposed to a varying magnetic field. Michael Faraday is generally credited with the discovery of induction in 1831 though it may have been anticipated by the work of Francesco Zantedeschi in 1829.[1] Around 1830[2] to 1832,[3]Joseph Henry made a similar discovery, but did not publish his findings until later. Faraday's law of induction is a basic law of electromagnetism that predicts how a magnetic field will interact with an electric circuit to produce an electromotive force (EMF). It is the fundamental operating principle of transformers, inductors, and many types of electrical motors,generators and solenoids.[4][5] The MaxwellFaraday equation is a generalisation of Faraday's law, and forms one ofMaxwell's equations.

History [edit]

A diagram of Faraday's iron ring apparatus. Change in the magnetic flux of the left coil induces a current in the right coil. [6]

Faraday's disk (see homopolar generator)

Electromagnetic induction was discovered independently by Michael Faraday andJoseph Henry in 1831; however, Faraday was the first to publish the results of his experiments.[7][8] In Faraday's first experimental demonstration of electromagnetic induction (August 29, 1831[9]), he wrapped two wires around opposite sides of an iron ring or "torus" (an arrangement similar to a modern toroidal transformer). Based on his assessment of recently discovered properties of electromagnets, he expected that when current started to flow in one wire, a sort of wave would travel through the ring and cause some electrical effect on the opposite side. He plugged

one wire into agalvanometer, and watched it as he connected the other wire to a battery. Indeed, he saw a transient current (which he called a "wave of electricity") when he connected the wire to the battery, and another when he disconnected it.[10] This induction was due to the change in magnetic flux that occurred when the battery was connected and disconnected.[6]Within two months, Faraday had found several other manifestations of electromagnetic induction. For example, he saw transient currents when he quickly slid a bar magnet in and out of a coil of wires, and he generated a steady (DC) current by rotating a copper disk near the bar magnet with a sliding electrical lead ("Faraday's disk").[11] Faraday explained electromagnetic induction using a concept he called lines of force. However, scientists at the time widely rejected his theoretical ideas, mainly because they were not formulated mathematically.[12] An exception was Maxwell, who used Faraday's ideas as the basis of his quantitative electromagnetic theory.[12][13][14] In Maxwell's papers, the time varying aspect of electromagnetic induction is expressed as a differential equation which Oliver Heaviside referred to as Faraday's law even though it is slightly different in form from the original version of Faraday's law, and does not describe motional EMF. Heaviside's version (see MaxwellFaraday equation below) is the form recognized today in the group of equations known as Maxwell's equations. Lenz's law, formulated by Heinrich Lenz in 1834, describes "flux through the circuit", and gives the direction of the induced EMF and current resulting from electromagnetic induction (elaborated upon in the examples below).

Faraday's experiment showing induction between coils of wire: The liquid battery (right) provides a current which flows through the small coil (A), creating a magnetic field. When the coils are stationary, no current is induced. But when the small coil is moved in or out of the large coil (B), the magnetic flux through the large coil changes, inducing a current which is detected by the galvanometer (G).[15]

Faraday's Law [edit]

Qualitative statement [edit]

The most widespread version of Faraday's law states:

The induced electromotive force in any closed circuit is equal to the negative of the time rate of change of the magnetic flux through the circuit.

This version of Faraday's law strictly holds only when the closed circuit is a loop of infinitely thin wire,[16] and is invalid in other circumstances as discussed below. A different version, the MaxwellFaraday equation(discussed below), is valid in all circumstances.
Quantitative [edit]

The wire loop (red) forms the boundary of a surface (blue). The black arrows denote any vector field F(r, t) defined throughout space; in the case of Faraday's law, the relevant vector field is the magnetic flux density B, and it is integrated over the blue surface. The red arrow represents the fact that the wire loop may be moving and/or deforming.

The definition of surface integral relies on splitting the surface into small surface elements. Each element is associated with a vector dA of magnitude equal to the area of the element and with direction normal to the element and pointing outward (with re spect to the orientation of the surface).

Faraday's law of induction makes use of the magnetic flux B through a hypothetical surface whose boundary is a wire loop. Since the wire loop may be moving, we write (t) for the surface. The magnetic flux is defined by asurface integral:

where dA is an element of surface area of the moving surface (t), B is the magnetic field, and BdA is a vector dot product (the infinitesimal amount of magnetic flux). In more visual terms, the magnetic flux through the wire loop is proportional to the number of magnetic flux lines that pass through the loop.

When the flux changesbecause B changes, or because the wire loop is moved or deformed, or both Faraday's law of induction says that the wire loop acquires an EMF , defined as the energy available per

unit charge that travels once around the wire loop (the unit of EMF is the volt).[16][17][18][19] Equivalently, it is the voltage that would be measured by cutting the wire to create an open circuit, and attaching a voltmeter to the leads. According to the Lorentz force law (in SI units),

the EMF on a wire loop is:

where E is the electric field, B is the magnetic field (aka magnetic flux density, magnetic induction), d is an infinitesimal arc length along the wire, and the line integral is evaluated along the wire (along the curve the conincident with the shape of the wire). The EMF is also given by the rate of change of the magnetic flux:

where

is the electromotive force (EMF) in volts and B is the magnetic flux in webers. The

direction of the electromotive force is given by Lenz's law. For a tightly wound coil of wire, composed of N identical loops, each with the same B, Faraday's law of induction states that[20][21]

where N is the number of turns of wire and B is the magnetic flux in webers through a single loop.

MaxwellFaraday equation [edit]

An illustration of Kelvin-Stokes theorem with surface its boundary and orientation n set by the right-hand rule.

The MaxwellFaraday equation is a generalisation of Faraday's law that states that a time-varying magnetic field is always accompanied by a spatially-varying, nonconservativeelectric field, and vice-versa. The MaxwellFaraday equation is

(in SI units) where

is the curl operator and again E(r, t) is the electric

field and B(r, t) is the magnetic field. These fields can generally be functions of position r and time t. The MaxwellFaraday equation is one of the four Maxwell's equations, and therefore plays a fundamental role in the theory of classical electromagnetism. It can also be written in anintegral form by the Kelvin-Stokes theorem:[22]

where, as indicated in the figure: is a surface bounded by the closed contour , E is the electric field, B is the magnetic field. d is an infinitesimal vector element of the contour , dA is an infinitesimal vector element of surface . If its direction is orthogonal to that surface patch, the magnitude is the area of an infinitesimal patch of surface.

Both d and dA have a sign ambiguity; to get the correct sign, the right-hand rule is used, as explained in the article Kelvin-Stokes theorem. For a planar surface , a positive path element d of curve is defined by the right-hand rule as one that points with the fingers of the right hand when the thumb points in the direction of the normal n to the surface . The integral around is called a path integral or line integral. Notice that a nonzero path integral for E is different from the behavior of the electric field generated by charges. A charge-generated E-field can be expressed as the gradient of a scalar field that is a solution to Poisson's equation, and has a zero path integral. Seegradient theorem. The integral equation is true for any path through space, and any surface for which that path is a boundary. If the path is not changing in time, the equation can be rewritten:

The surface integral at the right-hand side is the explicit expression for the magnetic flux B through .

Proof of Faraday's law [edit]

The four Maxwell's equations (including the MaxwellFaraday equation), along with the Lorentz force law, are a sufficient foundation to derive everything in classical electromagnetism.[16][17] Therefore it is possible to "prove" Faraday's law starting with these equations.[23][24] Click "show" in the box below for an outline of this proof. (In an alternative approach, not shown here but equally valid, Faraday's law could be taken as the starting point and used to "prove" the MaxwellFaraday equation and/or other laws.)
[show]Outline of proof of Faraday's law from Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz force law.

"Counterexamples" to Faraday's law [edit]

Faraday's disc electric generator. The disc rotates with angular rate , sweeping the conducting radius circularly in the static magnetic field B. The magnetic Lorentz force v

Bdrives the current along the conducting radius to the conducting rim, and from there the circuit completes through the

lower brush and the axle supporting the disc. Thus, current is generated from mechanical motion.

A counterexample to Faraday's Law when over-broadly interpreted. A wire (solid red lines) connects to two touching metal plates (silver) to form a circuit. The whole system sits in a uniform magnetic field, normal to the page. If the word "circuit" is interpreted as "primary path of current flow" (marked in red), then the magnetic flux through the "circuit" changes dramatically as the plates are rotated, yet the EMF is almost zero, which contradicts Faraday's Law. AfterFeynman Lectures on Physics Vol. II page 17-3

Although Faraday's law is always true for loops of thin wire, it can give the wrong result if naively extrapolated to other contexts.[16] One example is the homopolar generator (above left): A spinning circular metal disc in a homogeneous magnetic field generates a DC (constant in time) EMF. In Faraday's law, EMF is the time-derivative of flux, so a DC EMF is only possible if the magnetic flux is getting uniformly larger and larger perpetually. But in the generator, the magnetic field is constant and the disc stays in the same position, so no magnetic fluxes are growing larger and larger. So this example cannot be analyzed directly with Faraday's law. Another example, due to Feynman,[16] has a dramatic change in flux through a circuit, even though the EMF is arbitrarily small. See figure and caption above right. In both these examples, the changes in the current path are different from the motion of the material making up the circuit. The electrons in a material tend to follow the motion of the atoms that make up the material, due to scattering in the bulk and work functionconfinement at the edges. Therefore, motional EMF is generated when a material's atoms are moving through a magnetic field, dragging the electrons with them, thus subjecting the electrons to the Lorentz force. In the homopolar generator, the material's atoms are moving, even though the overall geometry of the circuit is staying the same. In the second example, the material's atoms are almost stationary, even though the overall geometry of the circuit is changing dramatically. On the other hand, Faraday's law always holds for thin wires, because there the geometry of the circuit always changes in a direct relationship to the motion of the material's atoms. Although Faraday's law does not apply to all situations, the MaxwellFaraday equation and Lorentz force law are always correct and can always be used directly.[16] Both of the above examples can be correctly worked by choosing the appropriate path of integration for Faraday's Law. Outside of context of thin wires, the path must never be chosen to go through the

conductor in the shortest direct path. This is explained in detail in "The Electromagnetodynamics of Fluid" by W. F. Hughes and F. J. Young, John Wiley Inc. (1965)

Applications [edit]
The principles of electromagnetic induction are applied in many devices and systems, including:

Current clamp Electrical generators Electromagnetic forming Graphics tablet Hall effect meters Induction cookers Induction motors Induction sealing Induction welding Inductive charging Inductors Magnetic flow meters Mechanically powered flashlight Pickups Rowland ring Transcranial magnetic stimulation Transformers Wireless energy transfer

Electrical generator [edit]

Rectangular wire loop rotating at angular velocity in radially outward pointing magnetic field B of fixed magnitude. The circuit is completed by brushes making sliding contact with top and bottom discs, which have conducting rims. This is a simplified version of the drum generator

Main article: electrical generator The EMF generated by Faraday's law of induction due to relative movement of a circuit and a magnetic field is the phenomenon underlying electrical generators. When a permanent magnet is moved relative to a conductor, or vice versa, an electromotive force is created. If the wire is connected through an electrical load, current will flow, and thus electrical energy is generated, converting the mechanical energy of motion to electrical energy. For example, the drum generator is based upon the figure to the right. A different implementation of this idea is the Faraday's disc, shown in simplified form on the right. In the Faraday's disc example, the disc is rotated in a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the disc, causing a current to flow in the radial arm due to the Lorentz force. It is interesting to understand how it arises that mechanical work is necessary to drive this current. When the generated current flows through the conducting rim, a magnetic field is generated by this current through Ampre's circuital law (labeled "induced B" in the figure). The rim thus becomes an electromagnet that resists rotation of the disc (an example of Lenz's law). On the far side of the figure, the return current flows from the rotating arm through the far side of the rim to the bottom brush. The B-field induced by this return current opposes the applied B-field, tending to decrease the flux through that side of the circuit, opposing the increase in flux due to rotation. On the near side of the figure, the return current flows from the rotating arm through the near side of the rim to the bottom brush. The induced Bfieldincreases the flux on this side of the circuit, opposing the decrease in flux due to rotation. Thus, both sides of the circuit generate an emf opposing the rotation. The energy required to keep the disc moving, despite this reactive force, is exactly equal to the electrical energy generated (plus energy wasted due to friction, Joule heating, and other inefficiencies). This behavior is common to all generators converting mechanical energy to electrical energy.
Electrical transformer [edit]

Main article: transformer The EMF predicted by Faraday's law is also responsible for electrical transformers. When the electric current in a loop of wire changes, the changing current creates a changing magnetic field. A second wire in reach of this magnetic field will experience this change in magnetic field as a change in its coupled magnetic flux, d B / d t. Therefore, an electromotive force is set up in the second loop called the induced EMF or transformer EMF. If the two ends of this loop are connected through an electrical load, current will flow.

Eddy currents [edit]

Main article: Eddy current Conductors (of finite dimensions) moving through a uniform magnetic field, or stationary within a changing magnetic field, will have currents induced within them. These induced eddy currents can be undesirable, since they dissipate energy in the resistance of the conductor. There are a number of methods employed to control these undesirable inductive effects. Electromagnets in electric motors, generators, and transformers do not use solid metal, but instead use thin sheets of metal plate, called laminations. These thin plates reduce the parasitic eddy currents, as described below. Inductive coils in electronics typically use magnetic cores to minimize parasitic current flow. They are a mixture of metal powder plus a resin binder that can hold any shape. The binder prevents parasitic current flow through the powdered metal.

An eddy current is a swirling current set up in a conductor in response to a changing magnetic field. By Lenzs law, the current swirls in such a way as to create a magnetic field opposing the change; to do this in a conductor, electrons swirl in a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. Because of the tendency of eddy currents to oppose, eddy currents cause energy to be lost. More accurately, eddy currents transform more useful forms of energy, such as kinetic energy, into heat, which is generally much less useful. In many applications the loss of useful energy is not particularly desirable, but there are some practical applications. One is in the brakes of some trains. During braking, the metal wheels are exposed to a magnetic field from an electromagnet, generating eddy currents in the wheels. The magnetic interaction between the applied field and the eddy currents acts to slow the wheels down. The faster the wheels are spinning, the stronger the effect, meaning that as the train slows the braking force is reduced, producing a smooth stopping motion.

Mutual inductance Faraday's law tells us that a changing magnetic flux will induce an emf in a coil. The induced emf for a coil with N loops is:

Picture two coils next to each other, end to end. If the first coil has a current going through it, a magnetic field will be produced, and a magnetic flux will pass through the second coil. Changing the current in the first coil changes the flux through the second, inducing an emf in the second coil. This is known as mutual inductance, inducing an emf in one coil by changing the current through another. The induced emf is proportional to the change in flux, which is proportional to the change in current in the first coil. The induced emf can thus be written as:

The constant M is the mutual inductance, which depends on various factors, including the area and number of turns in coil 2, the distance between the two coils (the further apart, the less flux passes through coil 2), the relative orientation of the two coils, the number of turns / unit length in the first coil (because that's what the magnetic field produced by the first coil depends on), and whether the two coils have cores made from ferromagnetic material. In other words, M is rather complicated. What's far more important in the equation above is that the emf induced in the second coil is proportional to the change in current in the first. This effect can be put to practical use. One way to use it is in a transformer, which we'll discuss below. Another is to use it in an ammeter. Conventional ammeters are incorporated directly into circuits, but ammeters don't have to be placed in the current path for alternating current. If a loop connected to a meter is placed around a wire with an AC current in it, an emf will be induced in the loop because of the changing field from the wire, and that will produce a current in the loop, and meter, proportional to the current in the wire. Self inductance Coils can also induce emf in themselves. If a changing current is passed through a coil, a changing magnetic field will be produced, inducing an emf in the coil. Again, this emf is given by:

As with mutual inductance, the induced emf is proportional to the change in current. The induced emf can be written as:

The constant L is known as the inductance of the coil. It depends on the coil geometry, as well as on whether the coil has a core of ferromagnetic material.

We've already discussed resistors and capacitors as circuit elements. Inductors, which are simply wire coils, often with ferromagnetic cores, are another kind of circuit element. One of the main differences between these is what happens to electrical energy in them. Resistors dissipate electrical energy in the form of heat; capacitors store the energy in an electric field between the capacitor plates; and inductors store the energy in the magnetic field in the coil. The energy stored in an inductor is:

In general, the energy density (energy per unit volume) in a magnetic field is: