Quick EMF question - Spherical Shell- North/South Pole, Equator

In summary, the question is asking for an expression for the EMF developed between the North Pole and the Equator.
  • #1
binbagsss
1,280
11
The question is: a conducting spherical shell of radius a rotates about the z axis with angular velocity ω, in a uniform magnetic field B= B[itex]_{0}[/itex][itex]\hat{z}[/itex] . Find an expression for the EMF developed between:

i) the north pole and the equator (2 marks);
ii) the north pole and the south pole (1 mark).

I'm struggling picturing why there is 0 flux between the north pole and south pole and a non-zero flux between the north pole and the equator.

So first of all, by rotates about the z-axis, I interpret this as any axis passing through the centre of the sphere.

I have attached two diagrams, the first i take the north and south pole to be aligned with the z axis (vertical) and the second the north and south aligned horizontally.

- From the first diagram, I think, I undertand the flux comments above, but in the second diagram , I would get zero flux for both cases...

Questions:


- So by north and south pole do we mean north and south with respect to the z-axis, as the object is spherically symetric so otherwise how do you choose?
- I can also see that I have not used the fact that the object is a shell and not a dense sphere. Am I correct in thinking that the answers to i and ii remain unchanged if I were to replace the spherical shell with a sphere?

Many Thanks in advance for your assistance !
 

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  • #2
I'm pretty sure it should be the second thumbnail. The line going from south pole to north pole should be in the same direction as the magnetic field. And yeah, the shell rotates around this line. Why do you say there will be zero flux? also, remember that they are asking about the EMF, which is the line integral of the electromagnetic force. This is not the same as the flux. But there is an important theorem relating a closed line integral to a flux.
 
  • #3
BruceW said:
I'm pretty sure it should be the second thumbnail. The line going from south pole to north pole should be in the same direction as the magnetic field. And yeah, the shell rotates around this line. Why do you say there will be zero flux? also, remember that they are asking about the EMF, which is the line integral of the electromagnetic force. This is not the same as the flux. But there is an important theorem relating a closed line integral to a flux.


Thanks for the reply. Apologies yes the second thumbnail.
Between the North Pole and Equator the flux is non-zero.
But between the North and South pole it is zero, as what goes in comes out, it cancels?
 
  • #4
between the North and South pole it is zero, as what goes in comes out, it cancels
Probably not the way you mean, but: yes. The area "vector" points opposite B for the lower half and with B for the upper half.

Another way to put this is "between the North and South pole it is zero, since they are at equal distances from the axis of rotation".

So what's the expression you found under i) ?
 
  • #5
to binbagsss: Flux over what surface? The line integral of the Force along a path between the North and South pole is a valid statement. But the flux between the North and South pole is meaningless, because flux is defined over a surface.
 
  • #6
BvU said:
"between the North and South pole it is zero, since they are at equal distances from the axis of rotation".


I thought the north and sole pole are just a single point, and since the axis passes through thse two points, the distance from the axis of rotation is 0 in each case?
 
  • #7
BruceW said:
to binbagsss: Flux over what surface? The line integral of the Force along a path between the North and South pole is a valid statement. But the flux between the North and South pole is meaningless, because flux is defined over a surface.

Flux over a circular surface of radius a, with its origin at the centre of the sphere, such that the top and bottom pass through the north and south pole.
 
  • #8
You mean a vertical surface ? No flux !
 
  • #9
might help.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #10
BvU said:
You mean a vertical surface ? No flux !

Oh yeh, the surface area would be parallel to the flux !
So, a circular cross-section though the sphere , horizontally, for case i?
I'm not sure what surface you would take for ii. Does it need to be a different surface than case i?
 
  • #11
Yes: for pole-equator you go halfway, for pole-pole you go all the way! Or wasn't that what you were asking ?

And no, horizontal rings won't do the trick either.

What did you pick up from the U-tube (with the field going into the whiteboard, a kind of bottom view of your case...)
 
  • #12
BvU said:
Yes: for pole-equator you go halfway, for pole-pole you go all the way! Or wasn't that what you were asking ?

And no, horizontal rings won't do the trick either.

What did you pick up from the U-tube (with the field going into the whiteboard, a kind of bottom view of your case...)

I'm really not sure what surface you would then, so not a circular disk?
 
  • #13
Oh it's the flux passing through the spherical/hemi-spherical surface. So equivalent to the 'projection' of the spherical surface onto the B -field, which is the same expression as [itex]\phi[/itex][itex]_{B}[/itex] for a circle of radius a.

The upper and lower hemisphere have opposite area/normal vectors. s.t [itex]\phi[/itex][itex]_{B}[/itex] (between the North pole and Equator) = B[itex]\pi[/itex]a[itex]^{2}[/itex] ,

and [itex]\phi[/itex][itex]_{B}[/itex] (between the North pole and South pole) = B[itex]\pi[/itex]a[itex]^{2}[/itex] - B[itex]\pi[/itex]a[itex]^{2}[/itex]=0.

Are these thoughts correct?
Thanks.
 
  • #14
Normal vectors are perpendicular to the surface, so for a hemisphere every point has a different normal vector. But integrating from North to south makes the vertical components cancel, from North pole to equator they don't.
 

FAQ: Quick EMF question - Spherical Shell- North/South Pole, Equator

1. What is EMF?

EMF stands for electromagnetic field. It is a type of energy that is created by electrically charged particles and can be found all around us in the form of waves or fields.

2. What is a spherical shell?

A spherical shell is a surface that is formed by rotating a circle around its diameter, creating a hollow sphere with no thickness. In this context, it is referring to a conductive sphere that is being used to measure EMF.

3. How does the EMF differ at the North and South poles of a spherical shell?

The EMF at the North and South poles of a spherical shell will be different because the EMF is dependent on the orientation of the magnetic field lines. At the poles, the magnetic field lines are perpendicular to the surface of the spherical shell, resulting in a stronger EMF compared to the equator where the field lines are parallel to the surface.

4. Why is the EMF stronger at the poles?

The EMF is stronger at the poles because the magnetic field lines are perpendicular to the surface, causing a higher concentration of lines within a smaller area. This results in a higher flux density and therefore a stronger EMF.

5. How does the EMF change as you move from the equator to the poles on a spherical shell?

The EMF will decrease as you move from the equator to the poles on a spherical shell because the magnetic field lines become more perpendicular to the surface, resulting in a smaller area for the lines to pass through. This decreases the flux density and therefore the strength of the EMF.

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