Direction of induced electric field?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of induced electric fields in the presence of a changing magnetic field, particularly in an infinitely large region where the rate of change of the magnetic field is constant. Participants explore the implications of Faraday's law, the conditions under which an electromotive force (emf) is generated, and the relationship between electric fields and magnetic flux through loops.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the electric field at any point in an infinitely large region where the rate of change of the magnetic field is constant, noting that the curl of the electric field is constant.
  • Another participant suggests that an induced electric field can exist even without local changes in the magnetic field, referencing a related thread for further context.
  • Concerns are raised about whether an emf should be present in this scenario, especially since the induced electric field appears to be stronger near the changing magnetic field region.
  • Some participants discuss the implications of having an electric field at locations on a loop where there is zero changing magnetic flux, emphasizing that the integral of the electric field around the loop can still be zero without the electric field being zero everywhere on the loop.
  • There is a mathematical exploration of the conditions under which the integral of the electric field around a loop equals zero, with references to specific equations and theorems, including Stokes' theorem.
  • One participant expresses uncertainty about whether the initial question regarding the electric field can be answered without boundary conditions.
  • Another participant references a previous thread that may contain similar unresolved questions related to Gauss's law.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the existence and implications of induced electric fields in the context of changing magnetic fields. There is no consensus on the initial question regarding the electric field in an infinitely large region, and multiple competing interpretations of Faraday's law and its applications are present.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the complexity of calculating the electric field in certain configurations and the potential need for boundary conditions to arrive at a definitive answer. The discussion reflects a range of assumptions and interpretations of electromagnetic theory.

PumpkinCougar95
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If there is a very very big(infinitely big) region of space where ## \frac {dB} {dt} = constant ## what would be the E field at any point? Obviously ## \nabla x E = constant ## but what after that ?
 
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I don't think I have a complete answer to your question, but a thread recently appeared that might be somewhat helpful. The induced electric field does not require any local ## dB/dt ## for ## E ## to be non-zero at that point. See https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/flux-through-a-coil.940861/page-2#post-5952718 ## \\ ## One additional comment, in writing the "curl" in Latex, use "\" and "times" together to get the ## \times ## sign.
 
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This post has made me wonder even more. Should there be an emf in this case too?
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tuqI1S7juh8iZhb8t2TaPrVm82CaL5mU
I am saying this because the induced E field is stronger the closer you get to the region with changing magnetic field.

And If it does, Doesn't this kind of violate the fact that the flux through the loop should be changing to create an E field?
 
PumpkinCougar95 said:
This post has made me wonder even more. Should there be an emf in this case too?
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tuqI1S7juh8iZhb8t2TaPrVm82CaL5mU
I am saying this because the induced E field is stronger the closer you get to the region with changing magnetic field.

And If it does, Doesn't this kind of violate the fact that the flux through the loop should be changing to create an E field?
I can't see the image in this post. Maybe it will become visible in a few minutes...
 
PumpkinCougar95 said:
loop should be changing to create an E field

I meant inducing a current.

Edit: Here it is https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tuqI1S7juh8iZhb8t2TaPrVm82CaL5mU
 
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PumpkinCougar95 said:
And If it does, Doesn't this kind of violate the fact that the flux through the loop should be changing to create an E field?

So what do you think?
 
PumpkinCougar95 said:
So what do you think?
You can have an ## E ## field at locations on a loop where there is zero changing magnetic flux through that loop. That is ok. In traveling around that loop, you would find ## \oint E \cdot ds =0 ##. This doesn't mean that ## E ## needs to be zero everywhere on the loop for the integral to be zero. (Hopefully this answers your question here). This result follows from ## \nabla \times E=-\frac{\partial{B}}{\partial{t}} ##, integrated over an area, along with Stokes theorem. The result is quite exact. ## \\ ## Additional note: In many cases, computing the ## E=E(r) ## and performing a path integral of this ## E ## over even a simple loop like a circle could be quite difficult. Stokes theorem gives this result immediately. Doing the calculation the long way might take a couple of hours or longer to get this zero result.
 
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Charles Link said:
You can have an EE E field at locations on a loop where there is zero changing magnetic flux through that loop. That is ok. In traveling around that loop, you would find ∮E⋅ds=0∮E⋅ds=0 \oint E \cdot ds =0 . This doesn't mean that EE E needs to be zero everywhere on the loop for the integral to be zero.

But ## \oint E \cdot ds =0 ## is NOT true in this case, Even though flux is zero through the loop at all times:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=18tjoiyAjjD1XAXgmZn_3UKgbtMrFZ6zz
 
  • #11
PumpkinCougar95 said:
But ## \oint E \cdot ds =0 ## is NOT true in this case, Even though flux is zero through the loop at all times:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=18tjoiyAjjD1XAXgmZn_3UKgbtMrFZ6zz
You have two parts of the loop where ## E ## is perpendicular to ## ds ## giving zero. Then you have two radii, ## \gamma_1 ## and ## \gamma_2 ##. ## E(r)=(A)(\frac{dB}{dt})/(2 \pi r ) ##, with ## A=\pi R^2 ##. For one arc, the path length is ## L_1= \gamma_1 \theta ##. For the other arc, the path length is ## L_2=-\gamma_2 \theta ##, ( with a minus sign). ## E_1=C/\gamma_1 ## and ## E_2=C/\gamma_2 ## for the same constant ## C ##. Thereby, ## E_1 L_1 +E_2 L_2=0 ## This one clearly has ## \oint E \cdot ds=0 ##.
 
  • #12
oh, Thanks a lot! Now, what about the first question?

PumpkinCougar95 said:
If there is a very very big(infinitely big) region of space where ## \frac {dB} {dt} = constant ## what would be the E field at any point? Obviously ## \nabla x E = constant ## but what after that ?

Is it possible to find this out without some sort of boundary condition?
 

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