How Does a Toroidal Coil's Magnetic Field Interact with a Bar Magnet?

  • Thread starter Thread starter cscott
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Coil Induction
AI Thread Summary
Inserting the north pole of a bar magnet into a toroidal coil induces an EMF that creates a magnetic field opposing the initial field of the magnet. The magnetic field inside the toroidal coil is circular, but the interaction with the bar magnet's field is limited to components that penetrate the coil's surface. In symmetrical scenarios, the net induction in the coil can be zero, as the magnetic field lines from the bar magnet may balance out. The induced magnetic field primarily exists within the toroid and does not oppose the field that generated it. Overall, the discussion highlights the complexities of magnetic field interactions in this setup.
cscott
Messages
778
Reaction score
1
Say I've inserted a north pole of a bar magnet into a toroidal coil. When the bar is moving there will be an induced EMF in the coil which will lead to a magnetic field that opposes the initial magnetic field. From what I understand the B field in the toroidal coil is circular inside the coil. I don't see how to pick the B field in this coil so that it opposes the initial field due to the bar magnetic. Aren't they orthogonal to each other?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Is this a homework problem? Can you describe the geometry a little better? (i.e., how do you insert the north pole into the toroid?)
 
It was part of a lab I did a while ago.

The north pole goes straight through the loop, like this:

[] <-N---S :-p
 
cscott said:
Say I've inserted a north pole of a bar magnet into a toroidal coil. When the bar is moving there will be an induced EMF in the coil which will lead to a magnetic field that opposes the initial magnetic field. From what I understand the B field in the toroidal coil is circular inside the coil. I don't see how to pick the B field in this coil so that it opposes the initial field due to the bar magnetic. Aren't they orthogonal to each other?

The orthogonal components do not interact. The only interaction is from the components of the bar magnet field that pierce the surface areas of the coils. Remember what the field near the end of a bar magnet looks like -- it is like a fountain, right? The lines of magnetic field are bending out and around, to return to the opposite pole.
 
Doesn't the same amount of lines go "left" as "right" when one pictures in the end of the north pole, so why is there an effect?
 
cscott said:
Doesn't the same amount of lines go "left" as "right" when one pictures in the end of the north pole, so why is there an effect?

Hmmm. Good point. I think that you're right. In a very symmetrical situation, there would be no net induction in the overall coil. If you think of a simplified geometry with just two turns, linked in series, with room to push the bar magnet through between them, and you measured the net voltage between the ends, I believe that the net would be zero as the bar magnet passed through between them.
 
I have been thinking over toroidal fields and from what I have found, the magnetic field in a toroid is limited to the space enclosed by the loops of the wire.

I am actually interested of the magnetic field that is on the surface of the toroid, and googling around I got to here..

So it seems to me, that when you move the bar magnet through the middle of the toroid, the induces EMF will create a magnetic field, but this magnetic field will be inside the toroid only, and it would not oppose the field that generated it on a first place.

What you guys think?
 
There is a weak field along the symmetry axis of a toroidal coil. If you shrink the toroidal cross-section to zero you are left with a loop (or loops) of wire about the symmetry axis.
 
Back
Top