Why Does Voltage Versus Energy Exchange in an Electromagnet Show a Linear Trend?

[Da Apprentice]

In order to determine the temperature that an electromagnet reached after a 3 minute period the electromagnet was placed in a constant volume of water. After 3 minutes the change in temperature of the water was measured and from this using the equation Q=mcΔT the energy in joules transferred was calculated. This same process was repeated for the same electromagnet functioning at a different voltage. Graphing the joules exchanged for each experiment against the voltage that the electromagnet was run at produced what appears to be a linear trend.

Why this trend occurred is unknown. It was thought that the trend would be parabolic due to the following;

Joule's First Law: Q=k*I^2*R

Ohms Law: V=I*R (hence I=V/R)

Substitution gives: Q=(k*V^2)/R

I'm not sure if joules law is the correct law to use in this case and so this is most likely why I'm wrong. Can anyone explain why the result would be linear or confirm that it should in fact have been parabolic.

Thanks
Z.C

 

[dazza95]

I have to tell you Da Apprentice:, you have asked a very complicated, multi-part question. It will be a lot of work for us to answer all parts. And our forum rules still apply, you have to do most of the work.

 

[Da Apprentice]

Good one Darren

But seriously can anyone explain why the result would be linear or confirm that it should in fact have been parabolic? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Z.C

 

[dazza95]

Yes,

Thanks,
DDZ

 

[sardar]

.

Based on the information provided, it is likely that the linear trend observed in the graph is due to the relationship between the voltage and the energy transferred in the form of heat. Joule's first law states that the amount of heat produced in a conductor is directly proportional to the square of the current (I^2) and the resistance (R) of the conductor. However, in this experiment, the current remains constant while the voltage is varied. This means that the resistance of the electromagnet may also be changing with the different voltages, resulting in a linear relationship between the energy transferred and the voltage.

It is also possible that the linear trend is a result of the experimental setup, as the temperature change of the water may not accurately reflect the exact temperature of the electromagnet. Other factors such as the conductivity of the water and the surrounding environment may also affect the results.

It is important to note that the laws and equations mentioned in the post are theoretical and may not always perfectly apply to real-world situations. It is always important to conduct further experiments and analysis to fully understand and explain the observed trends.