Rotating Conducting Cylinder in B - Induced Voltage

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the problem of induced voltage in a rotating conducting cylinder within a magnetic field. Participants are exploring the application of Faraday's law and motional emf in this context.

Discussion Character

  • Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the use of motional emf and its relation to the Lorentz force acting on free electrons in the cylinder. There are attempts to derive the induced voltage using Faraday's law, with questions about the constancy of magnetic flux and the implications of a purely radial magnetic field.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights into the relationship between the motion of electrons and the induced emf, while others are questioning the assumptions regarding the magnetic field configuration. There is an ongoing exploration of how to correctly apply the rate of change in magnetic flux to reach the same conclusion as the motional emf approach.

Contextual Notes

Participants note potential issues with the assumption of a purely radial magnetic field, referencing fundamental principles from Maxwell's equations. The discussion is framed within the constraints of deriving results consistent with both Faraday's law and motional emf.

xcvxcvvc
Messages
392
Reaction score
0
Rotating Conducting Cylinder in B -- Induced Voltage

[PLAIN]http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/2600/47007002.jpg

I understand how to use motional emf to solve this problem.
[tex]\int_C U \times B\, dl[/tex]
[tex]U = \omega R[/tex]
and
[tex]\int_C dl = H[/tex]
so the answer, symbolically, is
[tex]\omega RHB[/tex]
where [tex]\omega[/tex] is the spinning in rad/s, R is the radius of the cylinder, H is the cylinder's height, and B is the radial magnetic field.

Could someone help me to use Faraday's law to derive the same answer? In my mind, the magnetic flux is constant since if you take snapshots of the spinning cylinder, you always have the same magnetic field flowing through the same surface area (which I believe to be the cylinder's surface area minus to two circular tops).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org


Think of it this way: The conducting cylinder has all those electrons in it that are free to move. They have velocity v = ω x r and they are in a magnetic field, which means they experience a Lorentz force F = qvxB, which means they will move in response to that force. This is another way of saying that we have motional emf.

Having said that, I hasten to add that this problem does not sit well with me because, strictly speaking, you cannot have a purely radial B field. Such a field violates the "No magnetic monopoles" Maxwell equation.
 
Last edited:


kuruman said:
Think of it this way: The conducting cylinder has all those electrons in it that are free to move. They have velocity v = ω x r and they are in a magnetic field, which means they experience a Lorentz force F = qvxB, which means they will move in response to that force. This is another way of saying that we have motional emf.

Having said that, I hasten to add that this problem does not sit well with me because, strictly speaking, you cannot have a purely radial B field. Such a field violates the "No magnetic monopoles" Maxwell equation.

I understand that interpretation in solving the problem as I did provide a solution using motional emf. I seek to understand more completely Faraday's law, which does not use Lorentz force as far as I can tell.

Do you know how correctly to apply the rate of change in flux to arrive to the same answer?
 


xcvxcvvc said:
Do you know how correctly to apply the rate of change in flux to arrive to the same answer?
Consider a sliver of an area element on the surface of the cylinder that runs down the cylinder's length. It has "width" Rdθ and "length" H. The area is
dA = HRdθ
This area element takes time dt to rotate by amount dθ, so the rate of change of flux through it is
dΦ/dt = B dA/dt = B HRdθ/dt = BHRω. :wink:
 

Similar threads

Replies
13
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 47 ·
2
Replies
47
Views
9K
Replies
12
Views
2K