How Does Lenz's Law Determine Current Direction in Moving Loops and Magnets?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the application of Lenz's Law and Faraday's Law in determining the direction of induced current in loops based on their movement relative to magnetic fields. Participants analyze different scenarios involving loops and magnets to identify correct answers regarding induced current directions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore various scenarios presented in figures, questioning the conditions under which induced currents occur. They discuss the implications of magnetic field strength changes and the movement of loops and magnets, raising questions about the differences between specific answer choices.

Discussion Status

Some participants express uncertainty about their selections and seek confirmation on their reasoning. There is a collaborative atmosphere where participants share insights and validate each other's interpretations, although no explicit consensus on the correct answers is reached.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the constraint of having limited attempts to answer the question correctly, which adds pressure to their discussions and reasoning processes.

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Homework Statement


The figures below show two different situations where a current may be induced in a loop according to Faraday's Law, with the direction given by Lenz' Law. The magnetic field is shown by the x's in Fig. 2. Select ALL correct answers (i.e. B, AC, BCD) for the current in the loop. (The compass directions are defined in the usual way.)

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9134/prob07lenzlaw1us4.gif
http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/2264/prob07lenzlaw2pi7.gif

A) fig2: Loop moving North, induced current `b'.
B) fig1: Magnet moving West, induced current `a'.
C) fig2: Loop moving South, no induced current.
D) fig1: Loop moving West, induced current `a'.
E) fig2: Loop moving East, induced current `b'.
F) fig1: Magnet moving East, induced current `a'.

In figure 2, the magnetic field is strongest on the left, weakest on the right. As the magnetic field gets weaker, the current will flow clockwise (b) as the magnetic field gets stronger the current travels counterclockwise (a). since the magnetic field is the same if you move up or down, this means that C and E are true. Using the same principle for figure 1, (as they get closer together, the current flows counterclockwise, as they move apart, the current flows clockwise. This means that CEF should be the answer... What am i missing?
 
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any insight into this one?
 
How do D & F differ? :wink:
 
jeez, why didnt i see that?:P So you would put your money on CDEF? i only have one attempt left at the question
 
Last edited:
That's what I'd put.
 
Correct! Thanks
 

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