Dropping bar magnet through loop of wire

  • Thread starter Thread starter ninjadrummer8
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Loop Magnet Wire
Click For Summary
When a bar magnet is dropped through a loop of wire, an induced current is generated as the magnetic field changes, increasing as the magnet approaches and decreasing as it leaves. During the brief moment the magnet is fully within the coil, the current is zero because the rate of change of the magnetic field (dB/dt) is zero. As the opposite pole exits the loop, the current reverses polarity, creating a bipolar signal. If connected to a low impedance ammeter, the current would initially spike, drop to zero while the magnet is centered, and then spike negatively. A voltage integrator would show a sustained positive output until the other end of the magnet passes through the loop.
ninjadrummer8
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
Ok I have 2 questions about this.

So I know that a current is induced when the magnetic field changes near the wire. So say I dropped the magnet North end up and South end down through this wire, the current would increase as it was nearing it, and decrease as it leaves it.

1) is this correct?
2) what happens in the short time period that the magnet is still passing through the coil? is the current 0?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
If your signal is going into a low impedance ammeter, the current would go positive (or negative depending on polarity of ammeter), go back to zero while the magnet is passing through the wire, then go negative (opposite polarity) as the other pole passes through the loop. It is a bipolar signal. The reason it goes to zero in the middle of the magnet is because dB/dt through the loop is zero.

If you built a voltage integrator with an operational amplifier, the integrated voltage would stay positive until the other end of the magnet passed through the loop.
 
Thread 'Colors in a plasma globe'
I have a common plasma globe with blue streamers and orange pads at both ends. The orange light is emitted by neon and the blue light is presumably emitted by argon and xenon. Why are the streamers blue while the pads at both ends are orange? A plasma globe's electric field is strong near the central electrode, decreasing with distance, so I would not expect the orange color at both ends.

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
3K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K