Experiment 04

ELECTROMAGNETIC
INDUCTION

PHY032L | Physics 2 Laboratory

Student Manual
 Experiment 04
Electromagnetic Induction
BACKGROUND
Batteries are not the only method for creating an electric current. An electric current can also be
generated with nothing more than a coil of wire and a magnet! In this investigation, you will explore
what is required in order to generate a current and how the current behaves in a circuit when using a
permanent magnet.

THEORY
Any change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will cause a voltage (emf) to be "induced" in
the coil. No matter how the change is produced, the voltage will be generated. The change could be
produced by changing the magnetic field strength, moving a magnet toward or away from the coil,
moving the coil into or out of the magnetic field, rotating the coil relative to the magnet.

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 Experiment 04
Electromagnetic Induction
Faraday's law is a fundamental relationship which comes from Maxwell's equations. It serves as a succinct
summary of the ways a voltage (or emf) may be generated by a changing magnetic environment. The
induced emf in a coil is equal to the negative of the rate of change of magnetic flux times the number of
turns in the coil. It involves the interaction of charge with magnetic field.

At upper left in the illustration, two coils are penetrated by a changing magnetic field. Magnetic flux F is
defined by F=BA where B is the magnetic field or average magnetic field and A is the area perpendicular
to the magnetic field. Note that for a given rate of change of the flux through the coil, the voltage
generated is proportional to the number of turns N which the flux penetrates. This example is relevant
to the operation of transformers, where the magnetic flux typically follows an iron core from the primary
coil to the secondary coil and generates a secondary voltage proportional to the number of turns in the
secondary coil.

Proceeding clockwise, the second example shows the voltage generated when a coil is moved into a
magnetic field. This is sometimes called "motional emf", and is proportional to the speed with which
the coil is moved into the magnetic field. That speed can be expressed in terms of the rate of change
of the area which is in the magnetic field.

The next example is the standard AC generator geometry where a coil of wire is rotated in a magnetic
field. The rotation changes the perpendicular area of the coil with respect to the magnetic field and
generates a voltage proportional to the instantaneous rate of change of the magnetic flux. For a constant
rotational speed, the voltage generated is sinusoidal.

The final example shows that voltage can be generated by moving a magnet toward or away from a coil
of wire. With the area constant, the changing magnetic field causes a voltage to the generated. The
direction or "sense" of the voltage generated is such that any resulting current produces a magnetic field
opposing the change in magnetic field which created it. This is the meaning of the minus sign in
Faraday's Law, and it is called Lenz's law.

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 Experiment 04
Electromagnetic Induction
When the magnetic flux thru a coil of wire changes (as in a magnet falling thru a coil of wire in Figure
1), there is an EMF () generated between the ends of the coil given by Faraday’s Law:

𝑑Φ
𝜀 = −𝑁
𝑑𝑡

where N is the number of turns in the coil and dΦ/dt is the time rate of change of the magnetic flux, Φ,
or the derivative of the magnetic flux with respect to time. The magnetic flux may be thought of as the
number of magnetic lines (green arrows in Figure 1) passing through the coil.

Integration of the equation above yields:

! 𝜀 𝑑𝑡 = −𝑁ΔΦ = the area under the curve on an ε vs. t graph
where ∆Φ is the total change in the flux (or total number of field lines)

Lenz's Law
When an emf is generated by a change in magnetic flux according to Faraday's Law, the polarity of the
induced emf is such that it produces a current whose magnetic field opposes the change which produces
it. The induced magnetic field inside any loop of wire always acts to keep the magnetic flux in the loop
constant. In the examples below, if the B field is increasing, the induced field acts in opposition to it. If it
is decreasing, the induced field acts in the direction of the applied field to try to keep it constant.

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 Experiment 04
Electromagnetic Induction
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• To investigate the factors affecting magnitude of induced emf and magnitude and direction
of induced current.

SIMULATION URL
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/cheerpj/faraday/latest/faraday.html?simulation=faraday

PROCEDURES
• Faraday’s Electromagnet Lab is composed of four simulation’s related to electromagnetism. In
this activity you will use the pickup coil simulation, which can be found in the second tab of the
simulator.

• When you open the pickup coil tab you can see a set up shown below:

• You can see the adjustable elements on the right tab of the simulator. The tab labeled Bar
Magnet shows the adjustable magnetic strength and polarity reversal. You can also choose here

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 Experiment 04
Electromagnetic Induction
to visually show the magnetic field and direction and the strength of magnetic field using the
field meter. Below this tab is the Pickup coil in which you can manipulate here the elements of
the coil. You can choose what type of indicator to use, the indicator identifies the strength of the
induced emf present in the coil. You can also adjust the loop area and number of loops in this
tab. And lastly, to identify the motion of the induced current check the show electrons box. The
electrons are represented as gray spheres inside the coil.

PROCEDURES:
The simulation activity will be divided in to two parts. First, is the adjustment of the bar magnet elements
and the second one is the adjustment of the pickup coil.

PART 1

1. In this set up you will just manipulate the elements in the bar magnet tab and set the variable or
elements in the pickup coil tab in a fixed value shown below.

2. After setting the elements in the pickup coil, select the voltmeter first as your indicator.
3. Set the bar magnet strength in the bar magnet tab to 20%. By dragging the bar magnet, position it
to the left portion of the pickup coil.
4. As it set in the left portion of the coil slowly drag the bar magnet into the coil’s loop (north pole of
the bar magnet must be facing the pickup coil) as shown in the figure below.

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 Experiment 04
Electromagnetic Induction

5. Observe what happens to the voltmeter dial, the electron in the loop and the magnetic field inside
the loop as you drag the magnet.
6. Record your observations in the table below:

Bar magnet approaching the loop Bar magnet leaving the loop
Value and movement of the Shows little to no movement Shows little to no movement
voltmeter dial. in the voltmeter in the voltmeter
Direction of the magnetic Pointing towards the north Pointing towards the north
field inside the loop pole of the bar magnet pole of the bar magnet
Direction of the electron’s
Positive to Negative Negative to Positive
motion inside the loop.

7. With the same set up, drag the bar magnet through the coil but this time at a faster speed.

a. What happens to the value and movement of the voltmeter dial? Is it the same as the previous
set up observation? Is the value larger or smaller?
The value of the voltmeter fluctuates and becomes more
reactive compared to the previous observation.
b. Is the direction of the magnetic field inside the loop and direction of the electron’s motion the
same with the previous observation?
Yes

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 Experiment 04
Electromagnetic Induction

c. Is the rate of the electron’s motion the same with the previous observation?
No, the movement of the electron increases as we move the magnet faster.

8. With the same set-up, change the bar magnet strength to 75%, drag the bar magnet at the same
rate in the previous set-up. With the same question in no. 7, compare it with your previous
observations. Because we increased the magnet strength, the voltage now becomes more
pronounced and easier to identify the change compared to our previous
PART B. observation.
1. The second part of the simulation activity is focused on the manipulations of the elements in the
pickup coil (loop area and number of coils). In this set-up, the bar magnet elements are set in
fixed values shown below.

2. With the same experiment done in Part A. Set the number of loops in the pickup coil tab to 1,2,
and 3, respectively. Observe what happens to the movement in the voltmeter dial, the direction
of the magnetic field inside the loop, the motion and direction of electron inside the loop/s. Drag
the bar magnet in a rate through the loop. After the experiment answer the questions below.

a. As you increase the number of loops, are there changes in the value of current in the
voltmeter dial? If yes, does the value increases or decreases?
The value increases, because as we add more coil loops, we also increase the
magnetic strength making the values of the current in the voltmeter larger.
b. Does the direction of the magnetic field inside the loop changes as you increase the
loop’s number? No, since the direction of the magnetic field is the same whether we
increase the magnetic strength or add more loops.
c. Does the direction and speed of electron’s motion inside the loop changes as you
increase the number of loops? Explain.

d. If you change the voltmeter indicator to a light bulb, which of the following number of
loops in will produce the brightest light? Explain.

C . Only the speed of the electron increases

and the direction stays the same compared to
the previous experiment. The speed increase
since as we increase the coil loops, the
electrons would now need to travel further thus,
increase it's speed.
D. The one with 3 loops would produce the
brightest lightbulb. Since the higher the no. of
loops, the greater the voltage that the lightbulb
would receive.

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 Experiment 04
Electromagnetic Induction
3. For the final set-up, reset the loop number to 1 with the magnet strength at 75 %. Do the same
experiment performed previously, but this time change the loop area to 20%, 50%, and 100 %
respectively. After the experiment answer the questions below.

a. As you increase area of the loop, are there changes in the value of current in the
voltmeter dial? If yes, does the value increases or decreases?
The value of the current stays the same and does not increase or decrease.
b. Does the direction of the magnetic field inside the loop changes as you increase the
loop area? The direction of the magnetic field stays the same whether we
increase the loop area or not.
c.
Does the direction and speed of electron’s motion inside the loop changes as you
increase the loop area?
Both the direction and speed of the electron stays the same
as we increase the loop area.
GUIDE QUESTIONS

In the activity, the changes in the value in the voltmeter shows the value of induced emf and induced
current. The direction of the electrons motion in the coil represents the direction of the induced current.
Based on your observation in the activity, fill in the table below and write your conclusion on these
factors.

FACTORS Does it affect the magnitude of Does it affect the direction of the
induced current /induced emf? induced current?
(Yes or No, State your (Yes or No, State your
observation) observation)

Magnitude of magnetic field

(Varying magnetic strength)
Change of magnetic field over
time (rate of how fast the
magnet is being dragged
through the loop)
Number of loops

Varying loop area

INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

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