Moving Magnet Along a Conductor

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter D Rock
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Conductor Magnet
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

This discussion revolves around the effects of moving a magnet near a stationary conductor on induced voltage, current, and power. Participants explore the relationship between the speed of the magnet's movement and the electrical characteristics of the circuit, referencing concepts such as Faraday's law and conservation of energy.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether the speed of the magnet affects voltage, current, and power, suggesting that a faster swing might induce a stronger voltage and thus increase current and power.
  • Another participant introduces Faraday's law, implying that the induced voltage is related to the rate of change of magnetic flux.
  • Some participants express a desire for practical experimentation to clarify theoretical questions, while others suggest that understanding can be gained without physical experimentation.
  • A later reply confirms that an increase in the rate of change of magnetic flux would lead to an increase in voltage, aligning with Faraday's law.
  • One participant notes that voltage is determined by the strength of the magnet, the length of the conductor, and the velocity of the magnet, citing a formula for induced voltage.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the effects of speed on voltage and current, though some participants agree that faster movement should increase voltage according to Faraday's law. The discussion includes differing views on the necessity of physical experimentation versus theoretical understanding.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of familiarity with relevant concepts, such as Faraday's law, and some indicate limitations in their ability to conduct experiments or understand complex mathematics.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals interested in electromagnetism, particularly those exploring the principles of induced voltage and current in conductive materials.

D Rock
Messages
8
Reaction score
1
Hi, I have a question regarding electricity.

Suppose I have a conducting wire secured to a table so it's completely stationary. Suppose I attach a resister of some small amount of resistance, perhaps a light bulb.Then I take a magnet and slowly move the magnet near the conductor so that a current is induced. Let us call this trial 1.

Then, I swing the magnet again along the same exact path as in trial 1, except this time, I have moved the magnet 10 times as fast as in trial 1.

Suppose that in both trial 1 and trial 2, I have cut the same exact lines of magnetic flux at the same points in the same sequence, and the only difference between the two trials is the speed along the trajectory.

My question is in regard to voltage, current, and power:

Does the speed change any of the electrical features?
Does the faster swing induce a stronger voltage?
If so, then since resistance stays the same, the current must have also increased with voltage.
If time decreased, then power must have increased (according to Newton's law energy/time = power), right?
If I am wrong in that speed of the swing does not change the voltage nor the current, then does power still increase since time still decreased from trial 1 to trial 2?

Are these beliefs correct?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
hi,
welcome to PF

sounds like an excellent and safe experiment you can do at home and then report back with your findings
you should be able to answer all your questions

D Rock said:
If I am wrong in that speed of the swing does not change the voltage nor the current, then does power still increase since time still decreased from trial 1 to trial 2?

one clue

generated power can only increase IF voltage and or current is increased
Don't use Newton. just use plain P = V x I

do your experiments and tell us how you got on

Dave
 
D Rock said:
Then I take a magnet and slowly move the magnet near the conductor so that a current is induced
Are you familiar with Faraday's law?
 
You can answer your last question by thinking about the conservation of energy.
 
davenn said:
hi,
welcome to PF

sounds like an excellent and safe experiment you can do at home and then report back with your findings
you should be able to answer all your questions
one clue

generated power can only increase IF voltage and or current is increased
Don't use Newton. just use plain P = V x I

do your experiments and tell us how you got on

Dave

I don't have a magnet. I don't have wire. I don't have any type of electrical metering device. I kind of was hoping to understand this without reinventing the wheel at the moment lol.
 
Dale said:
Are you familiar with Faraday's law?

No Sir. I will look into it.
 
marcusl said:
You can answer your last question by thinking about the conservation of energy.

I was hoping to get some feedback on each of the questions though lol :)
 
Dale said:
Are you familiar with Faraday's law?

Okay, just looked into it. That math seems way beyond my level at this time.

Was just wondering if voltage, current or both change in a conductor when you increase the speed of a magnetic passing by.

Just was asking because households have 60 hz voltage and jet aircraft have 400 hz voltage and I was just wondering what the reason for different frequency was.

Don't know about double integrals and don't own a multimeter at this time. Was just hoping for some insight. Thanks.
 
D Rock said:
I don't have a magnet. I don't have wire. I don't have any type of electrical metering device. I kind of was hoping to understand this without reinventing the wheel at the moment lol.

seriously ...
those are not excuses ... magnets are cheap $00.00 to a couple of bucks, wire likewise, a light globe likewise
multimeters are available for around $10 if you shop around
D Rock said:
I was hoping to get some feedback on each of the questions though lol :)

we are here to help people learn, not spoonfeed them the answers
you have posted an ideal experiment setup, how about making just a little effort on your own :smile:Dave
 
  • #10
I do make a lot of effort. I guess time is just not on my side at the moment. I didn't realize asking a legitimate question equates to requesting to be spoonfed. I must be a really lazy and ungrateful person. Anyway, thank you for welcoming me to this forum.
 
  • #11
P.S.

I found the answer to my question:

The amount of voltage is determined by 3 factors. Strength of magnet, length of the conductor cutting the flux, and the velocity that the magnet is moving through the flux.

It is determined by E = B l v = (magnetic strength)(length of moving conductor)(velocity of the conductor).

As I mentioned, I am mainly interested in the velocity factor.

Unfortunately, I did not learn this through my own experimentation, but through experimentation of many before me via youtube video.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: berkeman
  • #12
D Rock said:
Okay, just looked into it. That math seems way beyond my level at this time.
Ok, there will be a limit to what I can say, but basically Faradays law says that the voltage induced in a loop is proportional to the rate of change of the magnetic flux through the loop.

So if you use the same magnet then you will have the same total change in flux. If you move it faster then what will happen to the rate of change? And then applying what you now know about Faradays law what will happen to the voltage?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: D Rock
  • #13
Rate of change will increase. So voltage will increase?
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 42 ·
2
Replies
42
Views
4K