4.5.5 The d.c. motor (3)
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1.
A coil carrying a current is placed in a magnetic field. State how the magnetic turning effect on the coil changes if the current flowing through the coil is increased. Explain your answer.
The magnetic turning effect on a coil is directly proportional to the current flowing through the coil. This is because the magnetic force on a single loop of wire is given by F = BIlsinθ. Here, I represents the current.
As the current I increases, the magnitude of the magnetic force on each loop of wire increases proportionally. This increased force results in a greater torque being applied to the coil, leading to a larger turning effect. Therefore, increasing the current will increase the magnetic turning effect.
2.
Describe the operation of an electric motor, explaining the roles of the magnetic field, current-carrying conductors, and the force experienced by the conductors. Include a discussion of how the direction of the current is reversed in a split-ring commutator.
An electric motor operates based on the principle of electromagnetic force. When a current-carrying conductor is placed within a magnetic field, it experiences a force. This force is described by Fleming's Left-Hand Rule. The magnetic field is typically created by permanent magnets or electromagnets. The current-carrying conductors are usually coils of wire, often arranged in a series of loops called armature coils.
The current flowing through the armature coils creates a magnetic field around the coils. This magnetic field interacts with the external magnetic field, resulting in a force on the current-carrying conductors. This force causes the armature to rotate. The direction of the force is perpendicular to both the direction of the current and the direction of the magnetic field.
A split-ring commutator is crucial for maintaining continuous rotation. As the armature rotates, the brushes make contact with the split rings. These rings are connected to the armature coils. As the armature rotates, the brushes switch the direction of the current flowing through the coils at regular intervals (typically 180 degrees). This reversal of current ensures that the force on the conductors maintains a consistent direction, causing the armature to continue rotating in the same direction. Without the commutator, the armature would simply rotate to the point where the magnetic field alignment is reversed, and then stop.
3.
A coil of wire carrying a current is placed in a uniform magnetic field. Describe how the magnetic turning effect on the coil is affected when the number of turns in the coil is increased. Explain your answer in terms of the magnetic force experienced by each loop of wire.
The magnetic turning effect on a coil is directly proportional to the number of turns in the coil. This is because each individual loop of wire experiences a magnetic force when a current flows through it in a magnetic field. The magnitude of this force is given by F = BIlsinθ, where B is the magnetic field strength, I is the current, l is the length of the conductor in the field, and θ is the angle between the magnetic field and the direction of the current.
When the number of turns in the coil increases, each loop experiences the magnetic force independently. Therefore, the total magnetic force on the coil is the sum of the forces on all the individual loops. Since the force on each loop is proportional to the number of turns, the total force on the coil is also directly proportional to the number of turns. This results in a larger turning effect.
In simpler terms, more turns mean more forces acting on the coil, leading to a greater overall torque and thus a stronger turning effect.