Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law are fundamental principles in electromagnetism that describe how electric and magnetic fields interact.
### Faraday's Law
Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction states that a changing magnetic field within a closed loop induces an electromotive force (EMF) in the wire. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:
\[
\mathcal{E} = -\frac{d\Phi_B}{dt}
\]
where:
- \(\mathcal{E}\) is the induced EMF,
- \(\Phi_B\) is the magnetic flux through the loop,
- \(t\) is time.
The negative sign indicates that the induced EMF will generate a current whose magnetic field opposes the change in magnetic flux through the loop.
### Lenz's Law
Lenz's Law complements Faraday's Law by providing the direction of the induced current. It states that the direction of the induced current will be such that it opposes the change in magnetic flux that produced it. This is a manifestation of the conservation of energy: if the induced current reinforced the change, it would lead to an increase in energy, which is not permissible.
### Summary
- **Faraday's Law**: Describes how a changing magnetic field induces EMF.
- **Lenz's Law**: Provides the direction of the induced current, opposing the change in flux.
Together, these laws explain the principles behind generators, transformers, and many other electromagnetic devices.