What is Lenz's law?
Q: What is Lenz's law?
A: Lenz's law states that an induced electromotive force (emf) always gives rise to a current whose magnetic field opposes the change in original magnetic flux.
Q: How is Lenz's law shown in Faraday's law of induction?
A: In Faraday's law of induction, Lenz's law is shown with the negative sign, indicating that the induced emf and the change in magnetic flux have opposite signs.
Q: What direction does the induced current flow when B' is directed out from the page and the area of the circuit is decreasing?
A: The induced current flows counterclockwise when B' is directed out from the page and the area of the circuit is decreasing.
Q: What does nature try to do through this induced field?
A: Nature tries to compensate for a reduction in flux due to an applied field by creating an outward-directed magnetic field within a circuit due to an induced current.
Q: What happens when a battery is suddenly connected to a coil of wire?
A: When a battery is suddenly connected to a coil of wire, it starts a current flowing clockwise as viewed by an observer. This will give rise to an induced emf which will be counterclockwise according to Lenz's Law, opposing any increase in current caused by connecting it.
Q: What effect does self-inductance have on circuits with changing currents?
A: Self-inductance causes an increase in current within a coil to result in an emf which opposes this increase, thus preventing unstable situations where energy conservation would be violated.
Q:What principle can be extended from Lenz’s Law?
A:Lenz’s Law can be extended into Le Chatelier’s Principle which states that when equilibrium in a system has been disturbed, equilibrium will be displaced so as undo any effects caused by this disturbance.
