Inductance

Overview

Source: Yong P. Chen, PhD, Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

This experiment will use inductive coils to demonstrate the concept of inductor and inductance. Magnetic induction will be demonstrated using a rod magnet inserted into or extracted away from the core of a coil to induce a transient electromotive force (emf) voltage in the coil, measured by a voltmeter. This experiment will also demonstrate the mutual inductance between two coils, where turning on or off a current flowing in a coil can induce an emf voltage in a second coil nearby. Finally, the experiment will demonstrate the self-inductance of a coil, when switching a current off induces an emf to light up a light bulb connected in parallel with the coil.

Procedure

1. Magnetic Induction

Obtain a solenoid coil (with a hollow core) and a rod magnet (with its North and South poles labeled).
Obtain an analogue bipolar ammeter with an indicator needle. The needle is nominally at the middle position at zero reading, and will deflect to the right or left depending on the direction of current flow (positive reading means the current flows from the positive terminal to and negative terminal inside the ammeter).
Connect the two ends of the solenoid to the "

Results

Representative results for what may be observed on the ammeter reading for Sections 1 and 2 (setups in Figures 1 and 2) are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 below.

Procedure Step	Orientation of Rod Magnet	Motion of Magnet	Reading on the ammeter
1.4	South-North (North is Log in or to access full content. Learn more about your institution’s access to JoVE content here Application and Summary In this experiment, we have demonstrated how changing a magnetic field (by moving a magnet) induces a current in a coil, and also how changing the current in the coil induces current in another coil (mutual induction). We also demonstrated that changing the current in a coil induces a voltage and current in the same coil (self-induction). Inductors (typically in the form of coils) are commonly used in many circuit applications, such as to store magnetic energy when a steady state current flows Log in or to access full content. Learn more about your institution’s access to JoVE content here Tags Inductance Inductors Coils Circuit Applications Magnetic Energy Storage Electromagnetic Induction Self inductance Voltage Magnetic Field Bar Magnet Coil Magnetic Flux Faraday s Law Of Induction Electromotive Force EMF Polarity Closed Circuit Skip to... 0:06 Overview 0:58 Principles of Inductance 4:55 Induction With a Bar Magnet 6:56 Self-induction Experiment 8:47 Applications 11:09 Summary Videos from this collection: Now Playing Inductance Physics II 20.9K Views Electric Fields Physics II 76.3K Views Electric Potential Physics II 100.6K Views Magnetic Fields Physics II 32.6K Views Electric Charge in a Magnetic Field Physics II 33.4K Views Investigation Ohm's Law for Ohmic and Nonohmic Conductors Physics II 25.8K Views Series and Parallel Resistors Physics II 32.4K Views Capacitance Physics II 43.2K Views RC/RL/LC Circuits Physics II 141.6K Views Semiconductors Physics II 29.1K Views Photoelectric Effect Physics II 32.0K Views Reflection and Refraction Physics II 35.1K Views Interference and Diffraction Physics II 89.7K Views Standing Waves Physics II 49.0K Views Sound Waves and Doppler Shift Physics II 23.0K Views Privacy Terms of Use Policies Contact Us Recommend to library JoVE NEWSLETTERS Research JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive Education JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site Authors Overview Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope and Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit Librarians Overview Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ ABOUT JoVE Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center Copyright © 2025 MyJoVE Corporation. All rights reserved