 No Brain Too Small  PHYSICS 

ELECTRICITY: DC INDUCTORS QUESTIONS

ENERGY (2014;3)

In the circuit shown, switch B is kept open and switch A is closed, allowing
charge to flow onto the plates of the capacitor.

Now switch A is opened and switch B is closed. The current changes with
time.

(d) Explain the effect that inductors have on currents that change with
time.

(e) Discuss how energy is stored in the capacitor and inductor at the instant
switch B is closed, and then while the capacitor is discharging.

Using an inductor to produce a spark (2013;2)

In the circuit shown, for a spark to be produced between the

gap AB, the voltage across AB must be greater than 1.20 ×
102 V.

Switch 1 is closed and the current in the circuit rises to a

constant value of 1.70 A.

(a) Calculate the energy stored in the inductor when the

current has risen to its maximum value.

(b) Calculate the value of r shown on the diagram, AND

explain its effect on the maximum current.

(c) Explain the effect of inductance on the time it takes for the current to rise to its maximum
value.

(d) Switch 2 is closed in addition to switch 1. Explain what happens to the voltage across the
inductor.
(e) Switch 1 is opened, leaving switch 2 closed. Explain why a spark could be produced across
the gap.
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THE MOTOR (2012;2)

When Hugo presses a button on the car’s remote control, a switch closes to allow current to flow
in the coil of the motor. This causes the coil to rotate, which makes the car’s wheels turn.

The motor has a very simple design – the current in the coil causes it to rotate in the
magnetic field between the two magnets, as shown in the diagram.

As the coil rotates, a “back EMF” is produced in the coil.

(a) Explain how this back EMF will increase the life of the battery. In your answer you should:

• Explain why an EMF will be induced in the coil as it turns

• Explain how this EMF will change as the coil rotates faster
• Explain the effect of this EMF on the current drawn from the battery.

BOOST CONVERTER (2011;3)

With a boost converter a 1.48 V cell

is able to produce a much higher
voltage across a load.

The inductor section of a boost

converter is shown in the diagram.

The diode only allows current

through the load in the clockwise
direction.

(a) Calculate the steady current that will flow in the circuit after it has been set up with the switch
open.
(b) The switch is closed and the circuit is left for a few minutes. Discuss how the voltage
across the load will be different to the voltage when the switch was open.
(c) When the boost converter is working, its switch opens and closes at a high frequency. Explain
how the circuit is able to produce a voltage across the load that is greater than the emf of the
battery.
(d) Shortly after the switch is opened, the inductor produces an emf of 15 V in the same direction
as the cell. By applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law, or otherwise, calculate the voltage across the
load at this instant.
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PORTABLE POWER (2010;1)

(c) Another group of students wants to understand how a 12.0 V battery can be used in a circuit
to produce a high enough voltage to light a 25.0 V neon bulb. They are shown the circuit
below.

The instructions tell them to close the switch, slowly count to ten and then open the switch. The
students see that the neon bulb flashes when they switch off the circuit.
(i) Explain why the bulb only lights when the circuit is switched off.
(ii) Explain why the students have to count to ten before turning off.

GENERATORS (2010;3)

The diagram below shows a coil turning in a uniform magnetic field, working as an AC generator.

(a) Calculate the maximum flux cutting a single loop of the coil
as it rotates.
(b) Given that Vmax = Φ max N ω (where N is the number of turns),
calculate the rms voltage produced when the coil is rotated at
220 radians per second.
(c) When the coil turns at a steady speed, the flux cutting the coil
varies as shown in the graph. (1 ms = 1 × 10–3 s). Describe and
explain how the induced voltage will vary with time. You may use
words, equations and / or sketches on the adjacent graph to
explain your answer.
(d) The coil is made to rotate faster. Explain how this will affect the
output voltage. You may use words, equations and / or sketches
on the adjacent grid to explain your answer.
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INDUCTOR PROPERTIES (2009;2)

Lafi builds a simple inductor circuit, as illustrated. She uses a

computer data logger to continuously monitor the current in the circuit.
The resistance of the inductor wiring is negligible.

Lafi changes the voltage of the supply and this makes the current vary
as shown.

(a) For most of the time, even though the resistance of the inductor is effectively zero, there is a
voltage across it. Explain why.
(b) Between t = 10.0 ms and t=15.0 ms, the current can be considered to be dropping at a
steady rate from 9.00 mA to 8.00 mA.
(i) Show that the size of the voltage induced across the inductor during this time period is
1.10 V.
(ii) Describe and explain the direction of the induced voltage.

(c) At one moment, while Lafi is changing the current, the supply voltage is 11.5 V and the
current is 7.75 mA. Calculate the rate of change of current that could cause these readings.

(d) Lafi then swaps her power supply for a 12 V D.C. battery. By calculating appropriate values,
sketch a graph to accurately describe the change in current when she switches on the circuit.
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TORCH INVESTIGATION (2008;1)

Jess is investigating a torch to find out the characteristics of the battery and the lamp. The torch
uses a filament lamp. The filament is a long coil of fine wire that heats up and glows when it
carries sufficient current. For the purposes of calculation, assume that the resistance of the
filament remains constant. Jess measures the battery voltage when the lamp is switched off and
finds the voltage to be 6.12 V. When Jess switches on the lamp, the voltage drops to 5.87 V. The
current through the lamp is then 0.743 A.

Jess suggests that it could take a few milliseconds for the lamp to reach full brightness when it is
switched on, and that the lamp's filament coil could be acting as an inductor.

(f) Assuming the time constant for the filament is 1.2 ms calculate the inductance of the filament
coil. Give your answer to the correct number of significant figures.

(g) Inductance can be defined from the equation

Use this definition to explain why an inductor would delay a bulb reaching full brightness after
it is switched on.

(h) The lamp is connected to an AC supply from a transformer. The supply for the transformer is
a 50 Hz mains supply, with a peak voltage of 340 V. The graph below shows the variation of
the mains supply with time.

Use the graph to show that the maximum rate of change of voltage in the primary coil of the
transformer is approximately 100 x 103 Vs-1.

(i) The output of the transformer from the secondary coil is labelled “6 V AC”. The lamp
connected to this output appears to light with the same brightness as it did when it was
connected to the battery. Explain whether the 6 V from the secondary coil of the transformer
output is a peak value or an r.m.s value.
(j) The current in the primary coil changes at a maximum rate of 8.7 A s-1. Calculate the mutual
inductance of the transformer.
  No Brain Too Small  PHYSICS 

INDUCTORS AND AC CIRCUITS (2007;2)

Traffic lights can be controlled by using an inductive loop to detect the presence of a car on the
road. The loop is a large coil of wire embedded under the road surface. When a car stops over the
loop, the inductance of the loop changes. This is sensed by an electrical circuit that causes the
traffic lights to change from red to green.

The inductance of the coil of wire must be measured. A possible way of doing this is to use a
circuit like the one below. The inductor, L, in the circuit models the coil of wire under the road.

The resistance of the rheostat is changed so that the current in the circuit drops steadily from its
maximum value of 1.62 A to 0.13 A in 1.2 s. While the current is dropping, the voltmeter reads 4.0
mV.

(a) Explain why there is a voltage across the inductor.

(b) Calculate the inductance of the inductor.

SNUBBER SWITCH (2006;2)

In the circuit shown above, a power supply of 25V is connected to an inductor with inductance
0.35 H and resistance of 220 Ω. The switch is closed, and after a time of 8.0 x 10-3 s, the circuit
current has reached a value that is sufficiently close to the steady current value for any difference
to be ignored.

(a) Show that the average voltage induced in the inductor during this time period is 5.0 V.
(b) Calculate the flux in the coil after this time period.
(c) Explain why, when the switch is opened, the maximum induced voltage will be much larger
than when the switch is closed.
  No Brain Too Small  PHYSICS 

WIND POWER (2005;2)

Jill is making a model wind turbine. It includes a generator

constructed from a strong horseshoe magnet and a coil of wire, with
500 turns.
Jill decides to investigate the electrical properties of the coil of wire
by connecting it in the circuit shown. She finds that the current
takes some time to reach a steady value. A graph of the increase in
current against time is also shown.

When the current is steady the ammeter gives a reading of 0.152 A.

(a) Calculate the resistance of the coil. Give your answer to the correct number of significant
figures.
(b) Explain why the ammeter took some time to reach a steady reading.
(c) Calculate the self-inductance of the coil.
  No Brain Too Small  PHYSICS 

THE 'COIL' (2004;3)

In the engine of a car the 'coil' is the device that generates the high voltage required to create the
spark that ignites the petrol vapour.
The 'coil' is essentially made up of two coils of wire. One coil is called the primary coil. Wrapped
around it is the secondary coil. The secondary coil normally has hundreds of times more turns of
wire than the primary coil.

The diagram shows a simplified view of this

arrangement of coils.

Current from the battery flows through the

primary coil. When the circuit is suddenly broken,
the magnetic field in the primary coil, and hence
also in the secondary coil, collapses (falls
rapidly). The mutual induction that takes place
between the two coils produces the high voltage
needed to create a spark. Describe what is
meant by mutual induction.

In questions (b) to (g), assume that the secondary coil is not connected so the primary coil
experiences self-induction only.

In Jessie's car, the primary coil has 150 turns, cross-sectional area of 2.00 x 10-3 m2, and
resistance 0.750 Ω. The magnetic field in the primary coil, when it is connected to the 12 V battery,
is 4.20 x 102 T.
(a) Calculate the flux in the primary coil when it is connected to the battery.

When the circuit is broken, there is an average voltage of 85.0 V across the primary coil.
(b) Explain why there is a voltage across the primary coil when the circuit is broken.
(c) Show that the time it takes the flux in the primary coil to collapse is 1.48 x 10-4 s.
(d) Show that the self-inductance of the primary coil is 7.9 x 10-4 H.
(e) (i) Calculate the time constant for the primary circuit when it is completed.
(ii) Justify the number of significant figures to which you have rounded your answer.
(g) Explain why the time taken for the current to build in the primary coil, when the circuit is
completed, is longer than the time taken to fall when the circuit is broken.

When the secondary coil is connected, mutual induction takes place, and there is a maximum
voltage of 410 V across the primary coil.
(h) Calculate the maximum voltage induced across the secondary coil.