PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY

PROJECT
SELF INDUCTANCE OF A COIL

BY
DEVIKA S NAIR

XII C

ROLL NO :33
 INDEX

S.NO TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. EXPERIMENT

3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

4. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION

In electromagnetism and electronics, inductance is the property of an electrical

conductor by which a change in current through it induces an electromotive
force in both the conductor itself and in any nearby conductors by mutual
inductance.
These effects are derived from two fundamental observations of physics: a steady
current creates a steady magnetic field described by Oersted’s law, and a time-
varying magnetic field induces an electromotive force (EMF) in nearby conductors,
which is described by Faraday’s law of induction. According to Lenz’s law a
changing electric current through a circuit that contains inductance induces a
proportional voltage, which opposes the change in current (self-inductance). The
varying field in this circuit may also induce an EMF in neighboring circuits (mutual
inductance).
The term inductance was coined by Oliver Heaviside in 1886. It is customary to use
the symbol L for inductance, in honors of the physicist Heinrich Lenz in the SI
system, the measurement unit for inductance is the Henry, with the unit symbol H,
named in honor of Joseph Henry who discovered inductance independently of, but
not before, Faraday.
Lenz's law named after the physicist Heinrich Lenz who formulated it in 1834, says:
The direction of current induced in a conductor by a changing magnetic field due
to Faraday’s law of induction will be such that it will create a field that opposes the
change that produced it.
Lenz's law is shown by the negative sign in Faraday’s law of induction:-
which indicates that the induced voltage and the change in magnetic flux have
opposite signs. It is a qualitative law that specifies the direction of induced current
but says nothing about its magnitude. Lenz's Law explains the direction of many
effects in electromagnetism, such as the direction of voltage induced in an inductor
or wire loop by a changing current, or why eddy currents exert a drag force on
moving objects in a magnetic field.
Lenz's law can be seen as analogous to Newton’s third law in classic mechanics.
For a rigorous mathematical treatment, see electromagnetic induction
and Maxwell’s equations.

Inductors do this by generating a self-induced emf within itself as a result of their

changing magnetic field. In an electrical circuit, when the emf is induced in the
same circuit in which the current is changing this effect is called Self-induction, ( L
) but it is sometimes commonly called back-emf as its polarity is in the opposite
direction to the applied voltage.
When the emf is induced into an adjacent component situated within the same
magnetic field, the emf is said to be induced by -induction, (M) and mutual
induction is the basic operating principal of transformers, motors, relays etc. Self
inductance is a special case of mutual inductance, and because it is produced within
a single isolated circuit we generally call self-inductance simply, Inductance.
The basic unit of measurement for inductance is called the Henry, (H) after Joseph
Henry, but it also has the units of Webers per Ampere ( 1 H = 1 Wb/A ).
Lenz’s Law tells us that an induced emf generates a current in a direction which
opposes the change in flux which caused the emf in the first place, the principal of
action and reaction. Then we can accurately define Inductance as being: “a coil will
have an inductance value of one Henry when an emf of one volt is induced in the
coil were the current flowing through the said coil changes at a rate of one
ampere/second”.
In other words, a coil has an inductance, ( L ) of one Henry, ( 1H ) when the current
flowing through it changes at a rate of one ampere/second, ( A/s ) inducing a
voltage of one volt, ( VL ) in it. This mathematical representation of the rate of
change in current through a coil per unit time :
𝑑𝑖
(A/s)
𝑑𝑡

Where: di is the change in the current in Amperes and dt is the time taken for this
current change in seconds. Then the voltage induced in a coil, ( VL ) with an
inductance of L Henries as a result of this change in current is expressed as:
𝑑𝑖
VL = -L (V)
𝑑𝑡

Note that the negative sign indicates that voltage induced opposes the change in
current through the coil per unit time (di/dt).
From the above equation, the inductance of a coil can therefore be presented as:

Inductance of a Coil

𝑽𝑳 𝟏𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐭
L= = = 1Henry
𝒅𝒊/𝒅𝒕 𝟏𝐀/𝐬

Where: L is the inductance in Henries, VL is the voltage across the coil and di/dt is
the rate of change of current in Amperes per second, A/s.
Inductance, L is actually a measure of an inductors “resistance” to the change of
the current flowing through the circuit and the larger is its value in Henries, the
lower will be the rate of current change.

EXPERIMENT
AIM:-
To study the factor on which the self inductance of a coil depends by observing the
effect of this coil, when put in series with a resistor (bulb) in a circuit fed up by an
A.C. source of adjustable frequency.

APPARATUS:-
A coil of large turns, a.c. source of adjustable frequency, an electrical bulb, (6V) a.c.
ammeter of suitable range rheostat, a soft iron rod, one way key, connecting wires
etc.

THEORY:-
Self inductance is the property of a coil which opposes the change in current
through it. The self inductance of a coil (long solenoid) is
𝜇0 𝜇𝑟 𝑁 2 𝐴
L=
𝑙
μ
where µr = Relative magnetic permeability of magnetic material, µr =
μ0

N =Total number of turns in solenoid

A = Area of cross-section of solenoid

l = Length of solenoid

Hence, the self inductance depends upon

1. No. of turns in solenoid

2. Geometry of coil
3. Nature of core material,

When an inductor is connected in series with a resistor (bulb) with a variable

source of frequency , then current flowing in the bulb is
 𝐸𝑟𝑚𝑠
Irms =
𝑍

where Z =√𝑅2 + 𝜔2 𝐿2 = Impedance of the a.c. circuit

Here R = Resistance of bulb

L = Self inductance of coil

𝜔 = 2πf = Angular frequency of a.c. source.

The brightness of bulb i.e., Heat generated in bulb is

2
H = 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑒 Zt
𝐻 2
P= = 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 Z
𝑡

2
P = 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 √𝑅2 + 𝜔2 𝐿2

OBSERVSATION:-
1. Least count of ammeter =0.05 A
2. Zero error of ammeter= 0 A
3. Range of ammeter= 0-5 A

S. No. Frequency of applied Current in ammeter Current in ampere

voltage without iron rod in with iron rod in coil
coil (A) (A)
1. 60 2 1.8
2. 50 2.5 2.3
3. 40 2.9 2.6
4. 30 3.4 3.25
5. 20 4.1 4

RESULT:-
 1. The current in the circuit decrease on inserting the iron rod in the core of coil
at constant frequent of applied voltage and brightness of bulb decrease and
vice-versa.
2. The current in the circuit increase on decreasing the frequency of applied
voltage and vice-versa. Therefore, the brightness of bulb increase.

PRECAUTIONS:-
1. The coil should have number of turn.
2. Current should be passed for a small time to avoid the heating effect.
3. There should not be parallax in taking the reading of ammeter.

SOURCE OF ERROR:-
1. The resistance of circuit mat increase slightly due to heating effect of
current.
2. There may be eddy current in soft iron coil.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my

teacher Mr. Balaji Sivaprasad as well as our Principal Mrs.
Manila Carvalho who gave me the golden opportunity to do
this wonderful project which also helped me in doing research
and learning several new things.
Secondly I would like to thank my parents and my friends
who helped me a lot in finalizing the project in tthis project
within the limited time frame.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES
1.www.wikipedia.com
2.www.academia.edu
BOOKS
1.Comprehensive Practical Physics