Return to Changing Magnetic Flux notes

Review of Flux through a Loop

Suppose you have a magnetic field B=0.6 mT ˆx. Three identical square loops with side lengths L=0.5 m are situated as shown below. The perspective shows a side view of the square loops, so they appear very thin even though they are squares when viewed face on.

Square Loops in the B-field

Facts

Lacking

Approximations & Assumptions

Representations

ΦB=BdA

First Loop

Solution

Since the magnetic field has a uniform direction, and the area of the loop is flat (meaning dA does not change direction either), then we can simplify the dot product: BdA=BdAcosθ

Since B and θ do not change for different little pieces (dA) of the area, we can pull them outside the integral:

BdAcosθ=BcosθdA=BAcosθ

Area for a square is just A=L2, and θ is different for each loop:

ΦB={BL2cos0=1.5104 Tm2Loop 1BL2cos90o=0Loop 2BL2cos42o=1.1104 Tm2Loop 3

Notice that we could've given answers for Loops 1 and 2 pretty quickly, since they are parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field, respectively, which both simplify the flux calculation greatly.