Question

A conducting bar of slides on frictionless conducting rails, falling under the influence of ordinary gravity. The rails are vertical and they sit in a powerful magnetic field which is perpendicular to the plane of the rails. The bar somehow maintains good electrical contact with the rails. At the top of the bar, the two rails are connected by a fixed resistor, R.

a. As the bar falls, a current will be induced. Will this current be in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction?

b. If the resistor is replaced with a resistor of smaller resistance, will the bar fall faster, slower, or at the same rate

Answer 1