Past exam of the medicine course of the University of Oxford / 1867 / First examination / Physics / 11

If round an electromagnet, a quantity of insulated wire be coiled, in the same way as the coil of the magnet itself, and the ends of this wire be connected with the terminals of a multiplying galvanometer, describe what takes place, when a current is sent round the coil of the magnet, and when this current is stopped.

The coils form a mutual induction apparatus. Changing primary electric current changes secondary magnetic flux linkage ${\Lambda }_2$. Faraday's law of induction givesOn closing the primary circuit, increasing electric current produces a transient secondary electric current and galvanometer deflection. By Lenz's law its direction opposes the increasing magnetic flux. Once primary electric current and core magnetization are steady, the derivative vanishes: the galvanometer returns to zero despite the continuing magnetic field.

On opening the circuit, the decreasing magnetic flux induces a secondary electric current tending to sustain that flux. The galvanometer deflects oppositely, then returns to zero. Making and breaking produce opposite transient deflections; steady primary current produces no sustained induced current.

For fixed linear coils, ${\Lambda }_2=M{I}_1$ and ${\mathcal{E}}_2=-Md{I}_1/dt$, with mutual inductance $M$. Opposite equal changes of primary electric current give opposite equal areas under the induced-electromotive force curves in that model. Peak sizes can differ with switching times. Real iron-core magnetic hysteresis and remanent magnetization can also change the flux excursion, so equality of the actual peaks is not required.