Is Back EMF Always Equal to Battery EMF in Inductive Circuits?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of an inductive circuit connected to a battery, specifically questioning the relationship between back electromotive force (emf) and the battery emf. The problem involves a coil with a given inductance and a specified battery voltage, prompting participants to explore the implications of these values on current growth.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants express confusion regarding the assumption that back emf equals the battery emf in the context of an ideal circuit. They question the validity of this assumption and its implications for current growth.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants seeking clarification on the relationship between back emf and battery emf. Some guidance has been offered regarding the nature of the circuit and the behavior of current, but there is no explicit consensus on the assumptions being made.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the ideal conditions assumed for the coil and battery, as well as the implications of having no resistance in the circuit, which affects the current behavior and the interpretation of the equations involved.

harsh95
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Homework Statement


A coil of inductance 0.5 H is connected to a 18V battery. Calculate the rate of growth of current?

Homework Equations


E=-L(dI/dt)

The Attempt at a Solution


Actually I have the solution but the problem is that in the book they have assumed that the back emf that would develop due to increasing current would be the same as emf of the battery? i.e its written as dI/dt=E/L=18/0.5= 36 A/s
How is it possible? Or am I thinking wrong
 
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harsh95 said:

Homework Statement


A coil of inductance 0.5 H is connected to a 18V battery. Calculate the rate of growth of current?

Homework Equations


E=-L(dI/dt)



The Attempt at a Solution


Actually I have the solution but the problem is that in the book they have assumed that the back emf that would develop due to increasing current would be the same as emf of the battery? i.e its written as dI/dt=E/L=18/0.5= 36 A/s
How is it possible? Or am I thinking wrong

The potential across the coil cannot be anything else but the same as that of the battery, assuming an ideal coil and battery. An ideal voltage source will produce ANY amount of current required to maintain its constant potential difference.
 
But I don't understand why the back emf generated by 18V i.e same as the battery.
We say that inductur has no resistance of itself. Then there is no potential drop when the current is steady
And when the current is changing then EMF is induced which is opposes the cause that produces it . And in the formula E=-LdI/dt, the E is the back emf right? And not the battery potential?
 
harsh95 said:
But I don't understand why the back emf generated by 18V i.e same as the battery.
We say that inductur has no resistance of itself. Then there is no potential drop when the current is steady
And when the current is changing then EMF is induced which is opposes the cause that produces it . And in the formula E=-LdI/dt, the E is the back emf right? And not the battery potential?

The current will definitely NOT be steady. There will be no steady state for this circuit since there's no resistance to limit the current.

Write the KVL loop equation for the circuit. Solve the resulting differential equation for the current. You'll see that the current increases without bound over time, but that dI/dt is a contant. Thus the back-emf is a constant, and it happens to equal the battery voltage.
 

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