Experiment 9

Magnetic Induction

PHY2092- section 7
Introduction:
The primary objective of this lab is divided into four different parts. The first part

demonstrates how salt water behaves when magnetic and electric field is applied, formation of

eddy currents, building and working of an electromagnetic cannon and the phenomenon of

magnetic braking. The second part concentrates on study of Oersted’s discovery and the third

part concentrates on study of concept behind RL circuit and to determine the time constant with

the potential across the resistor and the inductor. The final part concentrates on construction of

LC circuit and to study its behavior when sine waves are supplied.

Data:
The results obtained from the experiment are given in the appendix.
Data Analysis:

Part 3:

Calculation of time constant (Theory):

t= ( RL )= 1000
0.05
=0.00005 Seconds

The experimental time constant is found from experiment as 0.00004 Seconds and the error is

found to be 0.000005 seconds

Error in Time constant‘t’:

σt Theory
=
√( σ 2L
R2 ) +
L2∗σ 2R
R4

Where,

σ L =10 % of L

σ L =0.05∗10 %=0.005 H

And σ R =1% of R

σ R =1000∗ ( 1001 )=10 Ω

√( )
2 2 2
0.005 0.05 ∗10
σt = 2
+
Theory
1000 1000 4

σt Theory
=5.024937∗10−6 Seconds
Percent of error in time Constant:

= √ %σ L + % σ R
2 2
% σt Theory

% σt Theory
= √102 +12

% σt Theory
=10.049 %

Discrepancy:

d=∣t Experiment −t theory ∣

d=∣0.00005−0.00004 ∣

d=0.00001 seconds

Error in discrepancy:

σ d= √ σ t −σ t 2
theory
2
Experiment

√
σ d= ( 5.024∗10 ) −¿ ¿
−6 2

−6
σ d=7.088∗10 Seconds

Part 4:

Frequency and error in frequency:

1 1 −1
f= = =71428.5 S
T 0.000014 seconds

σT 0.000001 1
σf= = =5102.4
T 2
0.000014 2
S
Angular velocity (theory):

ɷ=
√ 1
LC
=¿
√1
−10
1∗10 ∗0.05
=447213.5
Rad ians
seconds

% of error in LC:

σ L∗C =√ 102 +102

σ L∗C =10.0005

% of error in σ ɷ:

1
% σ ɷ= ( σ L∗C ) =5.0002
2

Error in angular velocity (theory)

447213.5+5.0002 Radians
σɷ = =22361.8
Theory
100 seconds

Angular velocity (experimental):

2 π 2∗3.14 radians
ɷ exp= = =448571.4
f 71428.5 seconds

Discrepancy:

d=∣448571.4−447213.6∣

radians
d=1357.8
seconds

Error in discrepancy;
 σ d= √ 32040.82−22361.82

radians
σ d=39072.5
seconds

Percent of difference:

1357.8
% of difference = ∗100 %=0.303 %
447213.6

Discussion:
Table of Results:

Theoretical time constant 0.00005 ± 0.000005 Seconds

Experimental time constant 0.00004 ± 0.000005 Seconds

Theoretical angular velocity Radians

447213.5 ± 22361.8
seconds

Experimental angular velocity Radians

448571.4 ±32040.8
seconds

Table 1: Table of results

The sources of error in this experiment are found to be observation error and it is

common during experiments. The electronic components used here such as resistors, capacitors

and inductors exhibit intrinsic error and the devices used for their measurement exhibit systemic

errors.

In part 1, during the demonstration of saltwater propulsion section, when electric filed is

applied through the salt water, it makes the ions present in the water to gets charge and they tend

to move (in perpendicular) against the direction of flow of magnetic field. The relation is given

in the lab manual will explain this phenomenon.

 The creation of eddy current in the aluminum is due to the change in magnetic field of the

aluminum. The flow of magnetic filed through the conductor will cause the current carrying ions

inside aluminum to flow in direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. Therefore, circular

loops current or eddy current are generated.

In case of electromagnetic cannon test, when the alligator clips are connected to ring, the

multimeter shows some voltage reading and it is because the of induced voltage. It is notable

that the current don’t flow because the circuit is not closed. When a coil of wire attached to a

light bulb is placed over the cannon’s iron core solenoid, the light starts to glow because of

induction. If a ring is placed, it gets jumped from the solenoid and it is due to creation of force

due to intersection of two fields.

During magnetic braking, when a magnet is dropped into the long vertical aluminum

tube, the filed from magnet induces a field on the aluminum tube. Therefore, it attracts the

magnet and on attraction, the strength of induced filed decreases and leave the magnet to fall

down to bottom.

In case of part 2, there will be no current in the galvanometer and it is due to zero induced

current from the magnet and it is given by the Lorentz force law. Also, the direction of the

induced magnetic field when magnetic field is passed though a coil of wire will be opposite to

the positive z-axis.

In case of part 3, the predicted time constant is found to be 0.00004 seconds. The inverse

1 1
=
of time constant gives the S unit. I.e., t L . In addition, the voltage drop across ‘L’ is small
-1

because, in case of RL circuits, the voltages drop across L decreases with the increase in voltage
across R. The value of discrepancy‘d’ is found to be 0.00001 seconds for the time constant and

the error in discrepancy is found to be 7.08 * 10 -7 seconds. Since it is clear that, d is significantly

greater the error in‘d’, the results comes not in agreement within experimental errors. This part is

considered to be a failure.

In case of LC circuit, the all the variable are found to be true based on the analogy given

in table 4 of the lab manual. The value of discrepancy’s’ is found to be 1357.8 rad/seconds for

the angular velocity and the error in discrepancy is found to be 39072.5 rad/secs. Since the value

of‘d’ is lesser than the value of error in discrepancy, this part of experiment is success and the

results lies in agreement with the experimental error.

Conclusion:
The concept behind how salt water behaves when magnetic and electric field is applied,

the formation of eddy currents, building and working of an electromagnetic cannon, Oersted’s

discovery phenomenon and the phenomenon of magnetic braking are practically studied and

understood. Both the theoretical and experimental time constant values across the RC circuit and

the potential across the resistor and the inductor is also determined. In addition, both the theory

and practical values of angular velocity are determined from the LC circuit. This lab

experimentation is a success as it proved the fact that results comes in agreement within

propagated error and (d ˂σ d).