What is Lenz’s Law?

Question

What is Lenz’s Law?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To approach this question, I will evaluate each option in turn and explain why it is correct or incorrect before identifying the true concept at work.

Option a: 'The induced current in a loop is in the direction that creates a electric field that opposes the change in electric flux through the loop.' This statement mentions an electric field opposing a change in electric flux, but Lenz's Law is about magnetic flux and the magnetic effects produced by the induced current. The focus is on magnetic flux, not electric flux, so this option misstates the core mechanism.

Option b: 'The induced current in a loop is in the direction that creates a magnetic field that opposes the change in magnetic flux through the loop.' This aligns precisely with Lenz's Law: the induced current produces a magnetic field whose direction is such that it opposes the change in the external magnetic flux through the loop. It encapsulates the self-consistent nature of electromagnetic induction and Newton’s third law-like opposition in magnetic terms.

Option c: 'The induced current in a loop is in the direction that creates a magnetic field that has the opposite direction to the original magnetic flux through the loop.' This is close in spirit but subtly off: it suggests the induced field is simply opposite to the original flux, rather than opposing the change in flux. If the external flux is increasing, the induced field should oppose that increase; if the external flux is decreasing, the induced field should oppose the decrease. Saying 'opposite to the original flux' misses that conditional opposition to change, which is essential to Lenz’s Law.

Option d: 'The induced current in a loop is in the direction that creates a magnetic force that opposes the change in magnetic field through the loop.' This mentions a magnetic force opposing the change, but Lenz’s Law describes the direction of the induced current via the magnetic field it produces, not a separate magnetic force. It confuses the cause (induced magnetic field) with the effect (a force opposing the change in flux). The wording makes the mechanism unclear and slightly inaccurate.

In summary, option b correctly captures the core principle: the induced current creates a magnetic field that opposes the change in magnetic flux through the loop, which is the essence of Lenz’s Law. The other options mix up the roles of electric vs magnetic flux, misstate the conditional nature of opposition to change, or misattribute the mechanism to a magnetic force rather than a self-generated magnetic field.

UCIC 202503 PHYS101 Quiz 11

What is Lenz’s Law?

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