In: Physics
Which of these statements best describes the significance of the negative sign in Faraday’s Law?
A) The voltage produced tires to keep the magnetic flux constant.
B) The current always flows backwards.
C) Magnetic fields point from North to South.
D) All of these statements are pretty good descriptions.
Answer : (A) The voltage produced tires to keep the magnetic flux constant.
The negative sign signifies that the induced emf always opposes any change in the magnetic flux and tires to keep the magnetic flux constant.
According to Faraday’s law, when a changing magnetic field is linked with a coil, an emf is induced. This change in magnetic field may be caused by moving a magnet towards or away from the coil (changing the field strength), or moving the coil into or out of the magnetic field as desired. In other words, the magnitude of the emf induced in the circuit is proportional to the rate of change in the flux. However, when an emf is generated by a change in magnetic flux, the polarity of the induced emf is such that it produces a current whose magnetic field opposes the change which produces it. This is the Lenz's law, obeying the law of conservation of energy.