CHAPTER 14

Inductance

FIGURE 14.1 A smartphone charging mat contains a coil that receives alternating current, or current that is constantly increasing and
decreasing. The varying current induces an emf in the smartphone, which charges its battery. Note that the black box containing the
electrical plug also contains a transformer (discussed in Alternating-Current Circuits) that modifies the current from the outlet to suit the
needs of the smartphone. (credit: modification of work by “LG”/Flickr)

CHAPTER OUTLINE
14.1 Mutual Inductance
14.2 Self-Inductance and Inductors
14.3 Energy in a Magnetic Field
14.4 RL Circuits
14.5 Oscillations in an LC Circuit
14.6 RLC Series Circuits

INTRODUCTION In Electromagnetic Induction, we discussed how a time-varying magnetic flux induces an emf in a
circuit. In many of our calculations, this flux was due to an applied time-dependent magnetic field. The reverse of
this phenomenon also occurs: The current flowing in a circuit produces its own magnetic field.

In Electromagnetic Induction, we also saw that induction is the process by which an emf is induced by changing
electric flux and separation of a dipole. So far, we have discussed some examples of induction, although some of
592 14 • Inductance

these applications are more effective than others. The smartphone charging mat in the chapter opener photo also
works by induction. Is there a useful physical quantity related to how “effective” a given device is? The answer is
yes, and that physical quantity is inductance. In this chapter, we look at the applications of inductance in electronic
devices and how inductors are used in circuits.

14.1 Mutual Inductance

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Correlate two nearby circuits that carry time-varying currents with the emf induced in each circuit
• Describe examples in which mutual inductance may or may not be desirable

Inductance is the property of a device that tells us how effectively it induces an emf in another device. In other
words, it is a physical quantity that expresses the effectiveness of a given device.

When two circuits carrying time-varying currents are close to one another, the magnetic flux through each circuit
varies because of the changing current I in the other circuit. Consequently, an emf is induced in each circuit by the
changing current in the other. This type of emf is therefore called a mutually induced emf, and the phenomenon that
occurs is known as mutual inductance (M). As an example, let’s consider two tightly wound coils (Figure 14.2).
Coils 1 and 2 have and turns and carry currents and respectively. The flux through a single turn of coil
2 produced by the magnetic field of the current in coil 1 is whereas the flux through a single turn of coil 1 due
to the magnetic field of is

FIGURE 14.2 Some of the magnetic field lines produced by the current in coil 1 pass through coil 2.

The mutual inductance of coil 2 with respect to coil 1 is the ratio of the flux through the turns of coil 2
produced by the magnetic field of the current in coil 1, divided by that current, that is,

14.1

Similarly, the mutual inductance of coil 1 with respect to coil 2 is

14.2

Like capacitance, mutual inductance is a geometric quantity. It depends on the shapes and relative positions of the
two coils, and it is independent of the currents in the coils. The SI unit for mutual inductance M is called the henry
(H) in honor of Joseph Henry (1799–1878), an American scientist who discovered induced emf independently of
Faraday. Thus, we have . From Equation 14.1 and Equation 14.2, we can show that so
we usually drop the subscripts associated with mutual inductance and write

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 14.1 • Mutual Inductance 593

14.3

The emf developed in either coil is found by combining Faraday’s law and the definition of mutual inductance. Since
is the total flux through coil 2 due to , we obtain
14.4

where we have used the fact that M is a time-independent constant because the geometry is time-independent.
Similarly, we have

14.5

In Equation 14.5, we can see the significance of the earlier description of mutual inductance (M) as a geometric
quantity. The value of M neatly encapsulates the physical properties of circuit elements and allows us to separate
the physical layout of the circuit from the dynamic quantities, such as the emf and the current. Equation 14.5
defines the mutual inductance in terms of properties in the circuit, whereas the previous definition of mutual
inductance in Equation 14.1 is defined in terms of the magnetic flux experienced, regardless of circuit elements. You
should be careful when using Equation 14.4 and Equation 14.5 because do not necessarily represent the
total emfs in the respective coils. Each coil can also have an emf induced in it because of its self-inductance (self-
inductance will be discussed in more detail in a later section).

A large mutual inductance M may or may not be desirable. We want a transformer to have a large mutual inductance.
But an appliance, such as an electric clothes dryer, can induce a dangerous emf on its metal case if the mutual
inductance between its coils and the case is large. One way to reduce mutual inductance is to counter-wind coils to
cancel the magnetic field produced (Figure 14.3).

FIGURE 14.3 The heating coils of an electric clothes dryer can be counter-wound so that their magnetic fields cancel one another, greatly
reducing the mutual inductance with the case of the dryer.

Digital signal processing is another example in which mutual inductance is reduced by counter-winding coils. The
rapid on/off emf representing 1s and 0s in a digital circuit creates a complex time-dependent magnetic field. An emf
can be generated in neighboring conductors. If that conductor is also carrying a digital signal, the induced emf may
be large enough to switch 1s and 0s, with consequences ranging from inconvenient to disastrous.
594 14 • Inductance

EXAMPLE 14.1

Mutual Inductance
Figure 14.4 shows a coil of turns and radius surrounding a long solenoid of length radius and
turns. (a) What is the mutual inductance of the two coils? (b) If , , ,
, and the current in the solenoid is changing at a rate of 200 A/s, what is the emf induced in the
surrounding coil?

FIGURE 14.4 A solenoid surrounded by a coil.

Strategy
There is no magnetic field outside the solenoid, and the field inside has magnitude and is
directed parallel to the solenoid’s axis. We can use this magnetic field to find the magnetic flux through the
surrounding coil and then use this flux to calculate the mutual inductance for part (a), using Equation 14.3. We solve
part (b) by calculating the mutual inductance from the given quantities and using Equation 14.4 to calculate the
induced emf.

Solution

a. The magnetic flux through the surrounding coil is

Now from Equation 14.3, the mutual inductance is

b. Using the previous expression and the given values, the mutual inductance is

Thus, from Equation 14.4, the emf induced in the surrounding coil is

Significance
Notice that M in part (a) is independent of the radius of the surrounding coil because the solenoid’s magnetic
field is confined to its interior. In principle, we can also calculate M by finding the magnetic flux through the solenoid
produced by the current in the surrounding coil. This approach is much more difficult because is so
complicated. However, since we do know the result of this calculation.

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 14.2 • Self-Inductance and Inductors 595

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.1

A current flows through the solenoid of part (b) of Example 14.1. What is the
maximum emf induced in the surrounding coil?

14.2 Self-Inductance and Inductors

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Correlate the rate of change of current to the induced emf created by that current in the same circuit
• Derive the self-inductance for a cylindrical solenoid
• Derive the self-inductance for a rectangular toroid

Mutual inductance arises when a current in one circuit produces a changing magnetic field that induces an emf in
another circuit. But can the magnetic field affect the current in the original circuit that produced the field? The
answer is yes, and this is the phenomenon called self-inductance.

Inductors
Figure 14.5 shows some of the magnetic field lines due to the current in a circular loop of wire. If the current is
constant, the magnetic flux through the loop is also constant. However, if the current I were to vary with time—say,
immediately after switch S is closed—then the magnetic flux would correspondingly change. Then Faraday’s law
tells us that an emf would be induced in the circuit, where
14.6

Since the magnetic field due to a current-carrying wire is directly proportional to the current, the flux due to this
field is also proportional to the current; that is,
14.7

FIGURE 14.5 A magnetic field is produced by the current I in the loop. If I were to vary with time, the magnetic flux through the loop would
also vary and an emf would be induced in the loop.

This can also be written as

14.8

where the constant of proportionality L is known as the self-inductance of the wire loop. If the loop has N turns, this
equation becomes
14.9

By convention, the positive sense of the normal to the loop is related to the current by the right-hand rule, so in
Figure 14.5, the normal points downward. With this convention, is positive in Equation 14.9, so L always has a
positive value.

For a loop with N turns, so the induced emf may be written in terms of the self-inductance as
596 14 • Inductance

14.10

When using this equation to determine L, it is easiest to ignore the signs of and calculate L as

Since self-inductance is associated with the magnetic field produced by a current, any configuration of conductors
possesses self-inductance. For example, besides the wire loop, a long, straight wire has self-inductance, as does a
coaxial cable. A coaxial cable is most commonly used by the cable television industry and may also be found
connecting to your cable modem. Coaxial cables are used due to their ability to transmit electrical signals with
minimal distortions. Coaxial cables have two long cylindrical conductors that possess current and a self-inductance
that may have undesirable effects.

A circuit element used to provide self-inductance is known as an inductor. It is represented by the symbol shown in
Figure 14.6, which resembles a coil of wire, the basic form of the inductor. Figure 14.7 shows several types of
inductors commonly used in circuits.

FIGURE 14.6 Symbol used to represent an inductor in a circuit.

FIGURE 14.7 A variety of inductors. Whether they are encapsulated like the top three shown or wound around in a coil like the bottom-
most one, each is simply a relatively long coil of wire. (credit: Windell Oskay)

In accordance with Lenz’s law, the negative sign in Equation 14.10 indicates that the induced emf across an inductor
always has a polarity that opposes the change in the current. For example, if the current flowing from A to B in
Figure 14.8(a) were increasing, the induced emf (represented by the imaginary battery) would have the polarity
shown in order to oppose the increase. If the current from A to B were decreasing, then the induced emf would have
the opposite polarity, again to oppose the change in current (Figure 14.8(b)). Finally, if the current through the
inductor were constant, no emf would be induced in the coil.

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 14.2 • Self-Inductance and Inductors 597

FIGURE 14.8 The induced emf across an inductor always acts to oppose the change in the current. This can be visualized as an imaginary
battery causing current to flow to oppose the change in (a) and reinforce the change in (b).

One common application of inductance is to allow traffic signals to sense when vehicles are waiting at a street
intersection. An electrical circuit with an inductor is placed in the road underneath the location where a waiting car
will stop. The body of the car increases the inductance and the circuit changes, sending a signal to the traffic lights
to change colors. Similarly, metal detectors used for airport security employ the same technique. A coil or inductor
in the metal detector frame acts as both a transmitter and a receiver. The pulsed signal from the transmitter coil
induces a signal in the receiver. The self-inductance of the circuit is affected by any metal object in the path (Figure
14.9). Metal detectors can be adjusted for sensitivity and can also sense the presence of metal on a person.

FIGURE 14.9 The familiar security gate at an airport not only detects metals, but can also indicate their approximate height above the floor.
(credit: “Alexbuirds”/Wikimedia Commons)

Large induced voltages are found in camera flashes. Camera flashes use a battery, two inductors that function as a
transformer, and a switching system or oscillator to induce large voltages. Recall from Oscillations
([Link] on oscillations that “oscillation” is
defined as the fluctuation of a quantity, or repeated regular fluctuations of a quantity, between two extreme values
around an average value. Also recall (from Electromagnetic Induction on electromagnetic induction) that we need a
changing magnetic field, brought about by a changing current, to induce a voltage in another coil. The oscillator
system does this many times as the battery voltage is boosted to over 1000 volts. (You may hear the high-pitched
whine from the transformer as the capacitor is being charged.) A capacitor stores the high voltage for later use in
powering the flash.

EXAMPLE 14.2

Self-Inductance of a Coil
An induced emf of 20 mV is measured across a coil of 50 closely wound turns while the current through it increases
uniformly from 0.0 to 5.0 A in 0.10 s. (a) What is the self-inductance of the coil? (b) With the current at 5.0 A, what is
the flux through each turn of the coil?
598 14 • Inductance

Strategy
Both parts of this problem give all the information needed to solve for the self-inductance in part (a) or the flux
through each turn of the coil in part (b). The equations needed are Equation 14.10 for part (a) and Equation 14.9 for
part (b).

Solution

a. Ignoring the negative sign and using magnitudes, we have, from Equation 14.10,

b. From Equation 14.9, the flux is given in terms of the current by , so

Significance
The self-inductance and flux calculated in parts (a) and (b) are typical values for coils found in contemporary
devices. If the current is not changing over time, the flux is not changing in time, so no emf is induced.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.2

Current flows through the inductor in Figure 14.8 from B to A instead of from A to B as shown. Is the current
increasing or decreasing in order to produce the emf given in diagram (a)? In diagram (b)?

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.3

A changing current induces an emf of 10 V across a 0.25-H inductor. What is the rate at which the current is
changing?

A good approach for calculating the self-inductance of an inductor consists of the following steps:

PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY

Self-Inductance
1. Assume a current I is flowing through the inductor.
2. Determine the magnetic field produced by the current. If there is appropriate symmetry, you may be able to
do this with Ampère’s law.
3. Obtain the magnetic flux,
4. With the flux known, the self-inductance can be found from Equation 14.9, .

To demonstrate this procedure, we now calculate the self-inductances of two inductors.

Cylindrical Solenoid
Consider a long, cylindrical solenoid with length l, cross-sectional area A, and N turns of wire. We assume that the
length of the solenoid is so much larger than its diameter that we can take the magnetic field to be
throughout the interior of the solenoid, that is, we ignore end effects in the solenoid. With a current I flowing
through the coils, the magnetic field produced within the solenoid is

14.11

so the magnetic flux through one turn is

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 14.2 • Self-Inductance and Inductors 599

14.12

Using Equation 14.9, we find for the self-inductance of the solenoid,

14.13

If is the number of turns per unit length of the solenoid, we may write Equation 14.13 as

14.14

where is the volume of the solenoid. Notice that the self-inductance of a long solenoid depends only on its
physical properties (such as the number of turns of wire per unit length and the volume), and not on the magnetic
field or the current. This is true for inductors in general.

Rectangular Toroid
A toroid with a rectangular cross-section is shown in Figure 14.10. The inner and outer radii of the toroid are
is the height of the toroid. Applying Ampère’s law in the same manner as we did in Example 13.8
for a toroid with a circular cross-section, we find the magnetic field inside a rectangular toroid is also given by
14.15

where r is the distance from the central axis of the toroid. Because the field changes within the toroid, we must
calculate the flux by integrating over the toroid’s cross-section. Using the infinitesimal cross-sectional area element
shown in Figure 14.10, we obtain

14.16

FIGURE 14.10 Calculating the self-inductance of a rectangular toroid.

Now from Equation 14.16, we obtain for the self-inductance of a rectangular toroid

14.17

As expected, the self-inductance is a constant determined by only the physical properties of the toroid.
600 14 • Inductance

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.4

(a) Calculate the self-inductance of a solenoid that is tightly wound with wire of diameter 0.10 cm, has a cross-
sectional area of , and is 40 cm long. (b) If the current through the solenoid decreases uniformly from 10 to
0 A in 0.10 s, what is the emf induced between the ends of the solenoid?

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.5

(a) What is the magnetic flux through one turn of a solenoid of self-inductance when a current of 3.0
A flows through it? Assume that the solenoid has 1000 turns and is wound from wire of diameter 1.0 mm. (b) What
is the cross-sectional area of the solenoid?

14.3 Energy in a Magnetic Field

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Explain how energy can be stored in a magnetic field
• Derive the equation for energy stored in a coaxial cable given the magnetic energy density

The energy of a capacitor is stored in the electric field between its plates. Similarly, an inductor has the capability to
store energy, but in its magnetic field. This energy can be found by integrating the magnetic energy density,

14.18

over the appropriate volume. To understand where this formula comes from, let’s consider the long, cylindrical
solenoid of the previous section. Again using the infinite solenoid approximation, we can assume that the magnetic
field is essentially constant and given by everywhere inside the solenoid. Thus, the energy stored in a
solenoid or the magnetic energy density times volume is equivalent to

14.19

With the substitution of Equation 14.14, this becomes

14.20

Although derived for a special case, this equation gives the energy stored in the magnetic field of any inductor. We
can see this by considering an arbitrary inductor through which a changing current is passing. At any instant, the
magnitude of the induced emf is where is the induced current at that instance. Therefore, the power
absorbed by the inductor is
14.21

The total energy stored in the magnetic field when the current increases from 0 to I in a time interval from 0 to t can
be determined by integrating this expression:

14.22

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 14.3 • Energy in a Magnetic Field 601

EXAMPLE 14.3

Self-Inductance of a Coaxial Cable

Figure 14.11 shows two long, concentric cylindrical shells of radii and As discussed in Capacitance on
capacitance, this configuration is a simplified representation of a coaxial cable. The capacitance per unit length of
the cable has already been calculated. Now (a) determine the magnetic energy stored per unit length of the coaxial
cable and (b) use this result to find the self-inductance per unit length of the cable.

FIGURE 14.11 (a) A coaxial cable is represented here by two hollow, concentric cylindrical conductors along which electric current flows in
opposite directions. (b) The magnetic field between the conductors can be found by applying Ampère’s law to the dashed path. (c) The
cylindrical shell is used to find the magnetic energy stored in a length l of the cable.

Strategy
The magnetic field both inside and outside the coaxial cable is determined by Ampère’s law. Based on this magnetic
field, we can use Equation 14.22 to calculate the energy density of the magnetic field. The magnetic energy is
calculated by an integral of the magnetic energy density times the differential volume over the cylindrical shell. After
the integration is carried out, we have a closed-form solution for part (a). The self-inductance per unit length is
determined based on this result and Equation 14.22.

Solution

a. We determine the magnetic field between the conductors by applying Ampère’s law to the dashed circular
path shown in Figure 14.11(b). Because of the cylindrical symmetry, is constant along the path, and

This gives us
602 14 • Inductance

In the region outside the cable, a similar application of Ampère’s law shows that , since no net current
crosses the area bounded by a circular path where This argument also holds when that is, in
the region within the inner cylinder. All the magnetic energy of the cable is therefore stored between the two
conductors. Since the energy density of the magnetic field is

the energy stored in a cylindrical shell of inner radius r, outer radius and length l (see part (c) of the
figure) is

Thus, the total energy of the magnetic field in a length l of the cable is

and the energy per unit length is .

b. From Equation 14.22,

where L is the self-inductance of a length l of the coaxial cable. Equating the previous two equations, we find
that the self-inductance per unit length of the cable is

Significance
The inductance per unit length depends only on the inner and outer radii as seen in the result. To increase the
inductance, we could either increase the outer radius or decrease the inner radius . In the limit as the two
radii become equal, the inductance goes to zero. In this limit, there is no coaxial cable. Also, the magnetic energy
per unit length from part (a) is proportional to the square of the current.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.6

How much energy is stored in the inductor of Example 14.2 after the current reaches its maximum value?

14.4 RL Circuits
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Analyze circuits that have an inductor and resistor in series
• Describe how current and voltage exponentially grow or decay based on the initial conditions

A circuit with resistance and self-inductance is known as an RL circuit. Figure 14.12(a) shows an RL circuit
consisting of a resistor, an inductor, a constant source of emf, and switches and When is closed, the circuit
is equivalent to a single-loop circuit consisting of a resistor and an inductor connected across a source of emf
(Figure 14.12(b)). When is opened and is closed, the circuit becomes a single-loop circuit with only a resistor
and an inductor (Figure 14.12(c)).

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 14.4 • RL Circuits 603

FIGURE 14.12 (a) An RL circuit with switches and (b) The equivalent circuit with closed and open. (c) The equivalent circuit
after is opened and is closed.

We first consider the RL circuit of Figure 14.12(b). Once is closed and is open, the source of emf produces a
current in the circuit. If there were no self-inductance in the circuit, the current would rise immediately to a steady
value of However, from Faraday’s law, the increasing current produces an emf across the
inductor. In accordance with Lenz’s law, the induced emf counteracts the increase in the current and is directed as
shown in the figure. As a result, I(t) starts at zero and increases asymptotically to its final value.

Applying Kirchhoff’s loop rule to this circuit, we obtain

14.23

which is a first-order differential equation for I(t). Notice its similarity to the equation for a capacitor and resistor in
series (See RC Circuits). Similarly, the solution to Equation 14.23 can be found by making substitutions in the
equations relating the capacitor to the inductor. This gives

14.24

where
14.25

is the inductive time constant of the circuit.

The current I(t) is plotted in Figure 14.13(a). It starts at zero, and as ∞ , I(t) approaches asymptotically. The
induced emf is directly proportional to dI/dt, or the slope of the curve. Hence, while at its greatest
immediately after the switches are thrown, the induced emf decreases to zero with time as the current approaches
its final value of The circuit then becomes equivalent to a resistor connected across a source of emf.

FIGURE 14.13 Time variation of (a) the electric current and (b) the magnitude of the induced voltage across the coil in the circuit of Figure
14.12(b).
604 14 • Inductance

The energy stored in the magnetic field of an inductor is

14.26

Thus, as the current approaches the maximum current , the stored energy in the inductor increases from zero
and asymptotically approaches a maximum of

The time constant tells us how rapidly the current increases to its final value. At the current in the circuit
is, from Equation 14.24,
14.27

which is of the final value . The smaller the inductive time constant the more rapidly the current
approaches .

We can find the time dependence of the induced voltage across the inductor in this circuit by using
and Equation 14.24:
14.28

The magnitude of this function is plotted in Figure 14.13(b). The greatest value of it occurs when dI/
dt is greatest, which is immediately after is closed and is opened. In the approach to steady state, dI/dt
decreases to zero. As a result, the voltage across the inductor also vanishes as ∞
The time constant also tells us how quickly the induced voltage decays. At the magnitude of the induced
voltage is
14.29

The voltage across the inductor therefore drops to about of its initial value after one time constant. The shorter
the time constant the more rapidly the voltage decreases.

After enough time has elapsed so that the current has essentially reached its final value, the positions of the
switches in Figure 14.12(a) are reversed, giving us the circuit in part (c). At the current in the circuit is
With Kirchhoff’s loop rule, we obtain
14.30

The solution to this equation is similar to the solution of the equation for a discharging capacitor, with similar
substitutions. The current at time t is then
14.31

The current starts at and decreases with time as the energy stored in the inductor is depleted (Figure
14.14).

The time dependence of the voltage across the inductor can be determined from
14.32

This voltage is initially , and it decays to zero like the current. The energy stored in the magnetic field of
the inductor, also decreases exponentially with time, as it is dissipated by Joule heating in the resistance of
the circuit.

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 14.4 • RL Circuits 605

FIGURE 14.14 Time variation of electric current in the RL circuit of Figure 14.12(c). The induced voltage across the coil also decays
exponentially.

EXAMPLE 14.4

An RL Circuit with a Source of emf

In the circuit of Figure 14.12(a), let With closed and open (Figure
14.12(b)), (a) what is the time constant of the circuit? (b) What are the current in the circuit and the magnitude of
the induced emf across the inductor at , and as ∞?
Strategy
The time constant for an inductor and resistor in a series circuit is calculated using Equation 14.25. The current
through and voltage across the inductor are calculated by the scenarios detailed from Equation 14.24 and Equation
14.32.

Solution

a. The inductive time constant is

b. The current in the circuit of Figure 14.12(b) increases according to Equation 14.24:

At

At and ∞ we have, respectively,

and
∞
From Equation 14.32, the magnitude of the induced emf decays as

∞ we obtain

∞
Significance
If the time of the measurement were much larger than the time constant, we would not see the decay or growth of
the voltage across the inductor or resistor. The circuit would quickly reach the asymptotic values for both of these.
See Figure 14.15.
606 14 • Inductance

FIGURE 14.15 The figure shows voltage across a resistor in an RL circuit. We note that the voltage quickly reaches a constant voltage due to
the time of measurement scale being much larger than the time constant.

EXAMPLE 14.5

An RL Circuit without a Source of emf

After the current in the RL circuit of Example 14.4 has reached its final value, the positions of the switches are
reversed so that the circuit becomes the one shown in Figure 14.12(c). (a) How long does it take the current to drop
to half its initial value? (b) How long does it take before the energy stored in the inductor is reduced to of its
maximum value?

Strategy
The current in the inductor will now decrease as the resistor dissipates this energy. Therefore, the current falls as an
exponential decay. We can also use that same relationship as a substitution for the energy in an inductor formula to
find how the energy decreases at different time intervals.

Solution

a. With the switches reversed, the current decreases according to

At a time t when the current is one-half its initial value, we have

and

where we have used the inductive time constant found in Example 14.4.
b. The energy stored in the inductor is given by

If the energy drops to of its initial value at a time t, we have

Upon canceling terms and taking the natural logarithm of both sides, we obtain

so

Since , the time it takes for the energy stored in the inductor to decrease to of its initial value
is

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 14.5 • Oscillations in an LC Circuit 607

Significance
This calculation only works if the circuit is at maximum current in situation (b) prior to this new situation. Otherwise,
we start with a lower initial current, which will decay by the same relationship.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.7

Verify that RC and L/R have the dimensions of time.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.8

(a) If the current in the circuit of in Figure 14.12(b) increases to of its final value after 5.0 s, what is the
inductive time constant? (b) If , what is the value of the self-inductance? (c) If the resistor is
replaced with a resister, what is the time taken for the current to reach of its final value?

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.9

For the circuit of in Figure 14.12(b), show that when steady state is reached, the difference in the total energies
produced by the battery and dissipated in the resistor is equal to the energy stored in the magnetic field of the coil.

14.5 Oscillations in an LC Circuit

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Explain why charge or current oscillates between a capacitor and inductor, respectively, when wired in
series
• Describe the relationship between the charge and current oscillating between a capacitor and inductor
wired in series

It is worth noting that both capacitors and inductors store energy, in their electric and magnetic fields, respectively.
A circuit containing both an inductor (L) and a capacitor (C) can oscillate without a source of emf by shifting the
energy stored in the circuit between the electric and magnetic fields. Thus, the concepts we develop in this section
are directly applicable to the exchange of energy between the electric and magnetic fields in electromagnetic
waves, or light. We start with an idealized circuit of zero resistance that contains an inductor and a capacitor, an LC
circuit.

An LC circuit is shown in Figure 14.16. If the capacitor contains a charge before the switch is closed, then all the
energy of the circuit is initially stored in the electric field of the capacitor (Figure 14.16(a)). This energy is

14.33

When the switch is closed, the capacitor begins to discharge, producing a current in the circuit. The current, in turn,
creates a magnetic field in the inductor. The net effect of this process is a transfer of energy from the capacitor, with
its diminishing electric field, to the inductor, with its increasing magnetic field.
608 14 • Inductance

FIGURE 14.16 (a–d) The oscillation of charge storage with changing directions of current in an LC circuit. (e) The graphs show the
distribution of charge and current between the capacitor and inductor.

In Figure 14.16(b), the capacitor is completely discharged and all the energy is stored in the magnetic field of the
inductor. At this instant, the current is at its maximum value and the energy in the inductor is
14.34

Since there is no resistance in the circuit, no energy is lost through Joule heating; thus, the maximum energy stored
in the capacitor is equal to the maximum energy stored at a later time in the inductor:

14.35

At an arbitrary time when the capacitor charge is q(t) and the current is i(t), the total energy U in the circuit is given
by

Because there is no energy dissipation,

14.36

After reaching its maximum the current i(t) continues to transport charge between the capacitor plates, thereby
recharging the capacitor. Since the inductor resists a change in current, current continues to flow, even though the
capacitor is discharged. This continued current causes the capacitor to charge with opposite polarity. The electric
field of the capacitor increases while the magnetic field of the inductor diminishes, and the overall effect is a
transfer of energy from the inductor back to the capacitor. From the law of energy conservation, the maximum
charge that the capacitor re-acquires is However, as Figure 14.16(c) shows, the capacitor plates are charged

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 14.5 • Oscillations in an LC Circuit 609

opposite to what they were initially.

When fully charged, the capacitor once again transfers its energy to the inductor until it is again completely
discharged, as shown in Figure 14.16(d). Then, in the last part of this cyclic process, energy flows back to the
capacitor, and the initial state of the circuit is restored.

We have followed the circuit through one complete cycle. Its electromagnetic oscillations are analogous to the
mechanical oscillations of a mass at the end of a spring. In this latter case, energy is transferred back and forth
between the mass, which has kinetic energy , and the spring, which has potential energy . With the
absence of friction in the mass-spring system, the oscillations would continue indefinitely. Similarly, the oscillations
of an LC circuit with no resistance would continue forever if undisturbed; however, this ideal zero-resistance LC
circuit is not practical, and any LC circuit will have at least a small resistance, which will radiate and lose energy over
time.

The frequency of the oscillations in a resistance-free LC circuit may be found by analogy with the mass-spring
system. For the circuit, , the total electromagnetic energy U is

14.37

For the mass-spring system, , the total mechanical energy E is

14.38

The equivalence of the two systems is clear. To go from the mechanical to the electromagnetic system, we simply
replace m by L, v by i, k by 1/C, and x by q. Now x(t) is given by
14.39

where Hence, the charge on the capacitor in an LC circuit is given by

14.40

where the angular frequency of the oscillations in the circuit is

14.41

Finally, the current in the LC circuit is found by taking the time derivative of q(t):

14.42

The time variations of q and I are shown in Figure 14.16(e) for .

EXAMPLE 14.6

An LC Circuit
In an LC circuit, the self-inductance is H and the capacitance is F. At all of the
energy is stored in the capacitor, which has charge C. (a) What is the angular frequency of the
oscillations in the circuit? (b) What is the maximum current flowing through circuit? (c) How long does it take the
capacitor to become completely discharged? (d) Find an equation that represents q(t).

Strategy
The angular frequency of the LC circuit is given by Equation 14.41. To find the maximum current, the maximum
energy in the capacitor is set equal to the maximum energy in the inductor. The time for the capacitor to become
610 14 • Inductance

discharged if it is initially charged is a quarter of the period of the cycle, so if we calculate the period of the
oscillation, we can find out what a quarter of that is to find this time. Lastly, knowing the initial charge and angular
frequency, we can set up a cosine equation to find q(t).

Solution

a. From Equation 14.41, the angular frequency of the oscillations is

b. The current is at its maximum when all the energy is stored in the inductor. From the law of energy
conservation,

so

This result can also be found by an analogy to simple harmonic motion, where current and charge are the
velocity and position of an oscillator.
c. The capacitor becomes completely discharged in one-fourth of a cycle, or during a time T/4, where T is the
period of the oscillations. Since

the time taken for the capacitor to become fully discharged is

d. The capacitor is completely charged at so Using Equation 14.20, we obtain

Thus, and

Significance
The energy relationship set up in part (b) is not the only way we can equate energies. At most times, some energy is
stored in the capacitor and some energy is stored in the inductor. We can put both terms on each side of the
equation. By examining the circuit only when there is no charge on the capacitor or no current in the inductor, we
simplify the energy equation.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.10

The angular frequency of the oscillations in an LC circuit is rad/s. (a) If , what is C? (b)
Suppose that at all the energy is stored in the inductor. What is the value of (c) A second identical
capacitor is connected in parallel with the original capacitor. What is the angular frequency of this circuit?

14.6 RLC Series Circuits

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• Determine the angular frequency of oscillation for a resistor, inductor, capacitor series circuit
• Relate the circuit to a damped spring oscillation

When the switch is closed in the RLC circuit of Figure 14.17(a), the capacitor begins to discharge and
electromagnetic energy is dissipated by the resistor at a rate . With U given by Equation 14.37, we have

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 14.6 • RLC Series Circuits 611

14.43

where i and q are time-dependent functions. This reduces to

14.44

FIGURE 14.17 (a) An RLC circuit. Electromagnetic oscillations begin when the switch is closed. The capacitor is fully charged initially. (b)
Damped oscillations of the capacitor charge are shown in this curve of charge versus time, or q versus t. The capacitor contains a charge
before the switch is closed.

This equation is analogous to

which is the equation of motion for a damped mass-spring system (you first encountered this equation in
Oscillations ([Link] As we saw in that
chapter, it can be shown that the solution to this differential equation takes three forms, depending on whether the
angular frequency of the undamped spring is greater than, equal to, or less than b/2m. Therefore, the result can be
underdamped , critically damped , or overdamped . By analogy, the
solution q(t) to the RLC differential equation has the same feature. Here we look only at the case of under-damping.
By replacing m by L, b by R, k by 1/C, and x by q in Equation 14.44, and assuming , we obtain

14.45

where the angular frequency of the oscillations is given by

14.46

This underdamped solution is shown in Figure 14.17(b). Notice that the amplitude of the oscillations decreases as
energy is dissipated in the resistor. Equation 14.45 can be confirmed experimentally by measuring the voltage
across the capacitor as a function of time. This voltage, multiplied by the capacitance of the capacitor, then gives
q(t).

INTERACTIVE
In the interactive circuit construction kit simulation below, you can add inductors and capacitors to work with any
combination of R, L, and C circuits with both dc and ac sources. Then you can measure and evaluate current and
voltage, and graph them as a function of time.
612 14 • Inductance

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circuits)

INTERACTIVE
With the interactive DC circuit construction kit simulation below, you can add inductors and capacitors to work with
any combination of R, L, and C circuits with both dc and ac sources. Then you can measure and evaluate current and
voltage, and graph them as a function of time.

Access multimedia content ([Link]

circuits)

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 14.11

In an RLC circuit, (a) Is the circuit underdamped, critically damped, or
overdamped? (b) If the circuit starts oscillating with a charge of on the capacitor, how much energy
has been dissipated in the resistor by the time the oscillations cease?

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 14 • Chapter Review 613

Chapter Review
Key Terms
henry (H) unit of inductance, ; it is also and capacitor
expressed as a volt second per ampere magnetic energy density energy stored per volume
inductance property of a device that tells how in a magnetic field
effectively it induces an emf in another device mutual inductance geometric quantity that
inductive time constant denoted by , the expresses how effective two devices are at inducing
characteristic time given by quantity L/R of a emfs in one another
particular series RL circuit RLC circuit circuit with an ac source, resistor,
inductor part of an electrical circuit to provide self- inductor, and capacitor all in series.
inductance, which is symbolized by a coil of wire self-inductance effect of the device inducing emf in
LC circuit circuit composed of an ac source, inductor, itself

Key Equations
Mutual inductance by flux

Mutual inductance in circuits

Self-inductance in terms of magnetic flux

Self-inductance in terms of emf
Self-inductance of a solenoid

Self-inductance of a toroid

Energy stored in an inductor

Current as a function of time for a RL circuit
Time constant for a RL circuit
Charge oscillation in LC circuits
Angular frequency in LC circuits

Current oscillations in LC circuits

Charge as a function of time in RLC circuit
Angular frequency in RLC circuit

Summary
14.1 Mutual Inductance the first:

• Inductance is the property of a device that

expresses how effectively it induces an emf in
another device. where M is the same mutual inductance as in the
• Mutual inductance is the effect of two devices reverse process.
inducing emfs in each other. 14.2 Self-Inductance and Inductors
• A change in current in one circuit induces
an emf in the second: • Current changes in a device induce an emf in the
device itself, called self-inductance,

where M is defined to be the mutual inductance

between the two circuits and the minus sign is where L is the self-inductance of the inductor
due to Lenz’s law. and is the rate of change of current through
• Symmetrically, a change in current it. The minus sign indicates that emf opposes the
through the second circuit induces an emf in change in current, as required by Lenz’s law. The
614 14 • Chapter Review

unit of self-inductance and inductance is the on),

henry (H), where . where the initial current is
• The self-inductance of a solenoid is • The characteristic time constant is
where L is the inductance and R is the resistance.
• In the first time constant the current rises from
zero to and to 0.632 of the remainder in
where N is its number of turns in the solenoid, A
every subsequent time interval
is its cross-sectional area, l is its length, and
• When the inductor is shorted through a resistor,
is the permeability of
current decreases as
free space.
(turning off).
• The self-inductance of a toroid is
Current falls to in the first time interval
, and to 0.368 of the remainder toward zero in
each subsequent time
where N is its number of turns in the toroid,
14.5 Oscillations in an LC Circuit
are the inner and outer radii of the
toroid, h is the height of the toroid, and • The energy transferred in an oscillatory manner
is the permeability of between the capacitor and inductor in an LC
free space. circuit occurs at an angular frequency
14.3 Energy in a Magnetic Field .

• The energy stored in an inductor U is • The charge and current in the circuit are given by

• The self-inductance per unit length of coaxial 14.6 RLC Series Circuits
cable is
• The underdamped solution for the capacitor
charge in an RLC circuit is

14.4 RL Circuits
• The angular frequency given in the underdamped
• When a series connection of a resistor and an solution for the RLC circuit is
inductor—an RL circuit—is connected to a voltage
source, the time variation of the current is
(turning

Conceptual Questions
14.1 Mutual Inductance 14.2 Self-Inductance and Inductors

1. Show that and which are 5. Does self-inductance depend on the value of the
both expressions for self-inductance, have the magnetic flux? Does it depend on the current
same units. through the wire? Correlate your answers with
the equation
2. A 10-H inductor carries a current of 20 A.
Describe how a 50-V emf can be induced across 6. Would the self-inductance of a 1.0 m long,
it. tightly wound solenoid differ from the self-
inductance per meter of an infinite, but
3. The ignition circuit of an automobile is powered
otherwise identical, solenoid?
by a 12-V battery. How are we able to generate
large voltages with this power source? 7. Discuss how you might determine the self-
inductance per unit length of a long, straight
4. When the current through a large inductor is
wire.
interrupted with a switch, an arc appears across
the open terminals of the switch. Explain. 8. The self-inductance of a coil is zero if there is no
current passing through the windings. True or
false?

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 14 • Chapter Review 615

9. How does the self-inductance per unit length shown below vary with time after switch S is
near the center of a solenoid (away from the closed.
ends) compare with its value near the end of the
solenoid?

14.3 Energy in a Magnetic Field

10. Show that has units of energy.

14.4 RL Circuits

11. Use Lenz’s law to explain why the initial current

in the RL circuit of Figure 14.12(b) is zero.

12. When the current in the RL circuit of Figure

14.12(b) reaches its final value what is the 20. Discuss possible practical applications of RL
voltage across the inductor? Across the resistor? circuits.

13. Does the time required for the current in an RL 14.5 Oscillations in an LC Circuit
circuit to reach any fraction of its steady-state 21. Do Kirchhoff’s rules apply to circuits that contain
value depend on the emf of the battery? inductors and capacitors?
14. An inductor is connected across the terminals of 22. Can a circuit element have both capacitance and
a battery. Does the current that eventually flows inductance?
through the inductor depend on the internal
resistance of the battery? Does the time 23. In an LC circuit, what determines the frequency
required for the current to reach its final value and the amplitude of the energy oscillations in
depend on this resistance? either the inductor or capacitor?

15. At what time is the voltage across the inductor of 14.6 RLC Series Circuits
the RL circuit of Figure 14.12(b) a maximum? 24. When a wire is connected between the two ends
16. In the simple RL circuit of Figure 14.12(b), can of a solenoid, the resulting circuit can oscillate
the emf induced across the inductor ever be like an RLC circuit. Describe what causes the
greater than the emf of the battery used to capacitance in this circuit.
produce the current? 25. Describe what effect the resistance of the
17. If the emf of the battery of Figure 14.12(b) is connecting wires has on an oscillating LC circuit.
reduced by a factor of 2, by how much does the 26. Suppose you wanted to design an LC circuit with
steady-state energy stored in the magnetic field a frequency of 0.01 Hz. What problems might
of the inductor change? you encounter?
18. A steady current flows through a circuit with a 27. A radio receiver uses an RLC circuit to pick out
large inductive time constant. When a switch in particular frequencies to listen to in your house
the circuit is opened, a large spark occurs across or car without hearing other unwanted
the terminals of the switch. Explain. frequencies. How would someone design such a
19. Describe how the currents through circuit?

Problems
14.1 Mutual Inductance of the two coils?

28. When the current in one coil changes at a rate of 30. Two coils close to each other have a mutual
5.6 A/s, an emf of is induced in a inductance of 32 mH. If the current in one coil
second, nearby coil. What is the mutual decays according to , where
inductance of the two coils? and what is the
emf induced in the second coil immediately after
29. An emf of is induced in a coil
the current starts to decay? At
while the current in a nearby coil is decreasing at
a rate of 2.7 A/s. What is the mutual inductance
616 14 • Chapter Review

31. A coil of 40 turns is wrapped around a long 2.00-mH inductor be switched on or off to
solenoid of cross-sectional area induce a 500-V emf?
The solenoid is 0.50 m long
39. A coil with a self-inductance of 2.0 H carries a
and has 500 turns. (a) What is the mutual
current that varies with time according to
inductance of this system? (b) The outer coil is
Find an expression for
replaced by a coil of 40 turns whose radius is
the emf induced in the coil.
three times that of the solenoid. What is the
mutual inductance of this configuration? 40. A solenoid 50 cm long is wound with 500 turns
of wire. The cross-sectional area of the coil is
32. A 600-turn solenoid is 0.55 m long and 4.2 cm in
What is the self-inductance of the
diameter. Inside the solenoid, a small
solenoid?
single-turn rectangular coil
is fixed in place with its face perpendicular to 41. A coil with a self-inductance of 3.0 H carries a
the long axis of the solenoid. What is the mutual current that decreases at a uniform rate
inductance of this system? . What is the emf induced in
the coil? Describe the polarity of the induced
33. A toroidal coil has a mean radius of 16 cm and a
emf.
cross-sectional area of ; it is wound
uniformly with 1000 turns. A second toroidal coil 42. The current I(t) through a 5.0-mH inductor
of 750 turns is wound uniformly over the first varies with time, as shown below. The resistance
coil. Ignoring the variation of the magnetic field of the inductor is Calculate the voltage
within a toroid, determine the mutual across the inductor at
inductance of the two coils. .

34. A solenoid of turns has length and radius

and a second smaller solenoid of turns
has length and radius . The smaller
solenoid is placed completely inside the larger
solenoid so that their long axes coincide. What is
the mutual inductance of the two solenoids?

14.2 Self-Inductance and Inductors

35. An emf of 0.40 V is induced across a coil when

the current through it changes uniformly from
0.10 to 0.60 A in 0.30 s. What is the self- 43. A long, cylindrical solenoid with 100 turns per
inductance of the coil? centimeter has a radius of 1.5 cm. (a) Neglecting
end effects, what is the self-inductance per unit
36. The current shown in part (a) below is increasing, length of the solenoid? (b) If the current through
whereas that shown in part (b) is decreasing. In the solenoid changes at the rate 5.0 A/s, what is
each case, determine which end of the inductor is at the emf induced per unit length?
the higher potential.
44. Suppose that a rectangular toroid has 2000
windings and a self-inductance of 0.040 H. If
, what is the ratio of its outer radius to its
inner radius?

37. What is the rate at which the current though a

0.30-H coil is changing if an emf of 0.12 V is
induced across the coil?

38. When a camera uses a flash, a fully charged

capacitor discharges through an inductor. In
what time must the 0.100-A current through a

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 14 • Chapter Review 617

45. What is the self-inductance per meter of a voltages across L and at .

coaxial cable whose inner radius is 0.50 mm and .
whose outer radius is 4.00 mm?

14.3 Energy in a Magnetic Field

46. At the instant a current of 0.20 A is flowing

through a coil of wire, the energy stored in its
magnetic field is What is the self-
inductance of the coil?

47. Suppose that a rectangular toroid has 2000

windings and a self-inductance of 0.040 H. If
, what is the current flowing through 54. The current in the RL circuit shown here increases to
a rectangular toroid when the energy in its of its steady-state value in 2.0 s. What is the
magnetic field is time constant of the circuit?
48. Solenoid A is tightly wound while solenoid B has
windings that are evenly spaced with a gap
equal to the diameter of the wire. The solenoids
are otherwise identical. Determine the ratio of
the energies stored per unit length of these
solenoids when the same current flows through
each.

49. A 10-H inductor carries a current of 20 A. How

much ice at could be melted by the energy
stored in the magnetic field of the inductor?
(Hint: Use the value for ice.)

50. A coil with a self-inductance of 3.0 H and a

resistance of carries a steady current of
2.0 A. (a) What is the energy stored in the
magnetic field of the coil? (b) What is the energy
per second dissipated in the resistance of the
coil?

51. A current of 1.2 A is flowing in a coaxial cable

whose outer radius is five times its inner radius.
What is the magnetic field energy stored in a
3.0-m length of the cable?

14.4 RL Circuits 55. How long after switch is thrown does it take
the current in the circuit shown to reach half its
52. In Figure 14.12, , , and maximum value? Express your answer in terms
. Determine (a) the time constant of of the time constant of the circuit.
the circuit, (b) the initial current through the
resistor, (c) the final current through the resistor,
(d) the current through the resistor when
and (e) the voltages across the
inductor and the resistor when

53. For the circuit shown below, ,

and . After steady state is reached with
closed and open, is closed and 56. Examine the circuit shown below in part (a).
immediately thereafter is opened. Determine dI/dt at the instant after the switch is
Determine (a) the current through L at , (b) the thrown in the circuit of (a), thereby producing the
current through L at , and (c) the circuit of (b). Show that if I were to continue to
618 14 • Chapter Review

increase at this initial rate, it would reach its 60. For the circuit shown below, find the current through
maximum in one time constant. the inductor after the switch is
reopened.

57. The current in the RL circuit shown below

reaches half its maximum value in 1.75 ms after
the switch is thrown. Determine (a) the time 61. Show that for the circuit shown below, the initial
constant of the circuit and (b) the resistance of energy stored in the inductor, , is equal to
the circuit if . the total energy eventually dissipated in the resistor,
∞
.

58. Consider the circuit shown below. Find

when (a) the switch S is first closed,
(b) after the currents have reached steady-state
values, and (c) at the instant the switch is reopened
(after being closed for a long time).

59. For the circuit shown below, , ,

, and . Find the
values of (a) immediately after switch S is
closed, (b) a long time after S is closed, (c)
14.5 Oscillations in an LC Circuit
immediately after S is reopened, and (d) a long time
after S is reopened. 62. A 5000-pF capacitor is charged to 100 V and
then quickly connected to an 80-mH inductor.
Determine (a) the maximum energy stored in the
magnetic field of the inductor, (b) the peak value
of the current, and (c) the frequency of
oscillation of the circuit.

63. The self-inductance and capacitance of an LC

circuit are 0.20 mH and 5.0 pF. What is the
angular frequency at which the circuit oscillates?

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 14 • Chapter Review 619

64. What is the self-inductance of an LC circuit that

oscillates at 60 Hz when the capacitance is
?

65. In an oscillating LC circuit, the maximum charge

on the capacitor is and the
maximum current through the inductor is 8.0
mA. (a) What is the period of the oscillations? (b)
How much time elapses between an instant
when the capacitor is uncharged and the next
instant when it is fully charged?

66. The self-inductance and capacitance of an

oscillating LC circuit are
69. An LC circuit in an AM tuner (in a car stereo) uses
respectively. (a)
a coil with an inductance of 2.5 mH and a
What is the frequency of the oscillations? (b) If
variable capacitor. If the natural frequency of the
the maximum potential difference between the
circuit is to be adjustable over the range 540 to
plates of the capacitor is 50 V, what is the
1600 kHz (the AM broadcast band), what range
maximum current in the circuit?
of capacitance is required?
67. In an oscillating LC circuit, the maximum charge
on the capacitor is . Determine the charge on 14.6 RLC Series Circuits
the capacitor and the current through the 70. In an oscillating RLC circuit,
inductor when energy is shared equally between
the electric and magnetic fields. Express your What is the angular frequency of the
answer in terms of , L, and C. oscillations?
68. In the circuit shown below, is opened and 71. In an oscillating RLC circuit with
is closed simultaneously. Determine (a) the how
frequency of the resulting oscillations, (b) the much time elapses before the amplitude of the
maximum charge on the capacitor, (c) the oscillations drops to half its initial value?
maximum current through the inductor, and (d)
the electromagnetic energy of the oscillating 72. What resistance R must be connected in series
circuit. with a 200-mH inductor and a capacitor of
the resulting RLC oscillating circuit is to decay to
of its initial value of charge in 50 cycles? To
of its initial value in 50 cycles?

Additional Problems
73. Show that the self-inductance per unit length of loop of wire. The two short sides of the larger
an infinite, straight, thin wire is infinite. loop are so far from the smaller loop that their
magnetic fields over the smaller fields over the
74. Two long, parallel wires carry equal currents in
smaller loop can be ignored. What is the mutual
opposite directions. The radius of each wire is a,
inductance of the two loops?
and the distance between the centers of the
wires is d. Show that if the magnetic flux within
the wires themselves can be ignored, the self-
inductance of a length l of such a pair of wires is

(Hint: Calculate the magnetic flux through a

rectangle of length l between the wires and then
use .)

75. A small, rectangular single loop of wire with

dimensions l, and a is placed, as shown below, in
the plane of a much larger, rectangular single
620 14 • Chapter Review

76. Suppose that a cylindrical solenoid is wrapped 79. The switch S of the circuit shown below is closed at
around a core of iron whose magnetic . Determine (a) the initial current through the
susceptibility is x. Using Equation 14.9, show battery and (b) the steady-state current through the
that the self-inductance of the solenoid is given battery.
by

where l is its length, A its cross-sectional area,

and N its total number of turns.

77. A solenoid with turns/m has an iron core

placed in it whose magnetic susceptibility is
. (a) If a current of 2.0 A flows
through the solenoid, what is the magnetic field
in the iron core? (b) What is the effective surface
current formed by the aligned atomic current
80. In an oscillating RLC circuit,
loops in the iron core? (c) What is the self-
.
inductance of the filled solenoid?
Initially, the capacitor has a charge of
78. A rectangular toroid with inner radius and the current is zero. Calculate the charge on
outer radius , height the capacitor (a) five cycles later and (b) 50
, and turns is filled with an cycles later.
iron core of magnetic susceptibility .
81. A 25.0-H inductor has 100 A of current turned
(a) What is the self-inductance of the toroid? (b)
off in 1.00 ms. (a) What voltage is induced to
If the current through the toroid is 2.0 A, what is
oppose this? (b) What is unreasonable about this
the magnetic field at the center of the core? (c)
result? (c) Which assumption or premise is
For this same 2.0-A current, what is the effective
responsible?
surface current formed by the aligned atomic
current loops in the iron core?

Challenge Problems
82. A coaxial cable has an inner conductor of radius defined in this problem is
a, and outer thin cylindrical shell of radius b. A
current I flows in the inner conductor and
returns in the outer conductor. The self- (Hint: For (b), to obtain Q, divide E at the
inductance of the structure will depend on how beginning of one cycle by the change over
the current in the inner cylinder tends to be the next cycle.)
distributed. Investigate the following two
84. The switch in the circuit shown below is closed
extreme cases. (a) Let current in the inner
at . Find currents through (a) , (b) ,
conductor be distributed only on the surface and
and (c) the battery as function of time.
find the self-inductance. (b) Let current in the
inner cylinder be distributed uniformly over its
cross-section and find the self-inductance.
Compare with your results in (a).

83. In a damped oscillating circuit the energy is

dissipated in the resistor. The Q-factor is a
measure of the persistence of the oscillator
against the dissipative loss. (a) Prove that for a
lightly damped circuit the energy, U, in the circuit
decreases according to the following equation.
where
85. A square loop of side 2 cm is placed 1 cm from a
(b) Using the definition of the Q-factor as energy
long wire carrying a current that varies with time
divided by the loss over the next cycle, prove
at a constant rate of 3 A/s as shown below. (a)
that Q-factor of a lightly damped oscillator as

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 14 • Chapter Review 621

Use Ampère’s law and find the magnetic field.

(b) Determine the magnetic flux through the
loop. (c) If the loop has a resistance of , how
much induced current flows in the loop?
622 14 • Chapter Review

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