Lesson 21: Lenz's Law

Heinrich Lenz was a German physicist who started studying electromagnetism in the 1830's. By using a bit o logic he was able to come up with a method to predict the direction o the current in a coil i it was e!posed to a changing magnetic ield. "e will be drawing these coils as solenoids to ma#e them easier to igure out$ but they do not ha%e to be solenoids. Lenz recognized that there were only two possibilities or the direction o the current in the coil$ so he igured out which one was impossible and which must be correct.

The Wrong Way

&s the magnet is pushed into the coil o wire$ we assume that the induced current is lowing as shown by the arrow.

Direction of magnet movement

Illustration 1: Current induced in a coil.

' the current lows this way in the coil$ we can use the second hand rule to igure out the direction o the magnetic ield o the solenoid.

Direction of magnet movement

Illustration 2: Showing the magnetic poles on the solenoid.

' this was what really happened$ all you would need to do is (ust start start pushing on the magnet or a moment. )he current induced in the coil will create the poles as shown. - studyphysics.ca .age 1 o 3 * /ection 1,.0

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/ince the coil's magnetic ield has its south pole near the magnet's north pole$ it will start to pull the magnet in or us.... we don't ha%e to do anything. )he coil is pulling the magnet in or us$ while also ma#ing electricity. )his would be li#e getting something or nothing$ and the uni%erse does not wor# that way.

The Correct Way

2or this one we (ust assume the direction o the induced current is lowing in the e!act opposite direction. )his will induce a magnetic ield in the coil that will also be opposite.

Direction of magnet movement

Illustration 3: Induced current in coil is reversed, so the magnetic field is also.

1ow the north poles are acing each other$ so they will repel. )his ma#es it di icult to push the magnet towards the coil. "e ha%e to wor# at it now... we aren't getting something or nothing. )he wor# we do orcing the magnet towards the coil is con%erted to the electricity induced in the coil.

Example 13 'denti y the direction the magnet is being mo%ed to cause the direction o the current shown.
Direction of magnet movement

)his would be most di icult i the le t side o the solenoid was a south pole$ since that will try to pull the magnet bac# to the right while we are trying to mo%e it to the le t. "e use the second hand rule to igure out the direction o the current in the wire that results in the poles being aligned this way.

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- studyphysics.ca

.age , o 3 * /ection 1,.0

Direction of magnet movement

Basically$ (ust always #eep in mind that Lenz's Law says that the induced current in the coil creates a magnetic ield that ma#es mo%ing the e!ternal magnet di icult to do.

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- studyphysics.ca

.age 3 o 3 * /ection 1,.0