The discussion revolves around the use of a capacitor in conjunction with a coil in a magnetic field, particularly focusing on the implications of charging a capacitor with the sinusoidal emf output generated by the coil.
The discussion is active with participants sharing thoughts on the functionality of LC circuits and the potential for using rectifiers. Some participants are questioning the initial assumptions about the limitations of using capacitors alone.
The conversation is framed as a discussion question for a lab, indicating a context of academic inquiry rather than practical application.
Queequeg said:A coil in a magnetic field produces a sinusoidal emf output, so why can't you just attach a capacitor to it to charge it? Is it simply because capacitors store energy in electric fields, so you would need an inductor?
berkeman said:A parallel LC circuit immersed in a changing B-field will indeed develop an AC voltage across the capacitor. Why would you think it would not?
Queequeg said:Hmm that would work and got me thinking, so besides an LC circuit could one also implement a rectifier diode for unidirectional current instead of the sinusoidal wave?