Name: Jan
Status: Student
Grade: 9-12
Location: NV
Country: United States
Date: November 2006
Question:
If you use strands of copper wire
woven together like a rope and then spun inside a
magnetic field, will this produce electricity?
Replies:
Hi Jan,
Let me answer your question this way: If you move ANY
electrical conductor through a magnetic field (or vice versa)
the result will be an electrical current generated in the
conductor. It makes no difference if the conductor is a solid
wire, or a piece of metal of any shape, or a wire woven from
strands of copper, or any other electrical conductor (even
one made of carbon fiber). The result will be identical.
Mind you, the exact direction that you move the conductor
with the respect to the magnetic field will influence how
much current will be created, as will the strength of the
magnetic field and the speed of the motion. But none of these
factors will be affected by whether the conductor is a solid
wire or a "rope" made of many fine strands of wire.
NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.
