Lenz's law

Lenz's law /lnts/ is a common way of understanding how electromagnetic circuits obey Newton's
third law and the conservation of energy.[1] Lenz's law is named after Heinrich Lenz, and it says:
If an induced current flows, its direction is always such that it will oppose the change which produced
it.
Lenz's law is shown with the negative sign inFaraday's law of induction:

which indicates that the induced voltage () and the change in magnetic flux () have opposite
signs.[2] Lenz's Law is a qualitative law that refers to the direction of induced current in relation to
the effect which produces it without quantitatively relating their magnitudes.
For a rigorous mathematical treatment, seeelectromagnetic induction and Maxwell's equations.
Contents
[hide]

1 Opposing currents
o

1.1 Example

2 Detailed interaction of charges in these currents

3 Field energy

4 Conservation of momentum

5 References

6 External links
Opposing currents[edit]
If a change in the magnetic field of current i1 induces another electric current, i2, the direction
of i2 is opposite that of the change in i1. If these currents are in two coaxial circular
conductors 1 and 2 respectively, and both are initially 0, then the currents i1 and i2 must counterrotate. The opposing currents will repel each other as a result.
Lenz's law states that the current induced in a circuit due to a change or a motion in a magnetic
field is so directed as to oppose the change in flux and to exert a mechanical force opposing the
motion.
Example[edit]
Currents bound inside the atoms of strong magnets can create counter-rotating currents in a
copper or aluminum pipe. This is shown by dropping the magnet through the pipe. The descent of
the magnet inside the pipe is observably slower than when dropped outside the pipe.
When a voltage is generated by a change in magnetic flux according to Faraday's Law, the
polarity of the induced voltage is such that it produces a current whose magnetic field opposes the
change which produces it. The induced magnetic field inside any loop of wire always acts to keep

the magnetic flux in the loop constant. In the examples below, if the flux is increasing, the induced
field acts in opposition to it. If it is decreasing, the induced field acts in the direction of the applied
field to oppose the change.
Detailed interaction of charges in these currents[edit]
In electromagnetism, when charges move along electric field lines work is done on them, whether
it involves storing potential energy (negative work) or increasing kinetic energy (positive work).
When net positive work is applied to a charge q1, it gains speed and momentum. The net work
on q1 thereby generates a magnetic field whose strength (in units of magnetic flux density
(1 tesla = 1 volt-second per square meter)) is proportional to the speed increase ofq1. This
magnetic field can interact with a neighboring charge q2, passing on this momentum to it, and in
return, q1 loses momentum.
The charge q2 can also act on q1 in a similar manner, by which it returns some of the momentum
that it received from q1. This back-and-forth component of momentum contributes to
magnetic inductance. The closer that q1 and q2 are, the greater the effect. When q2 is inside a
conductive medium such as a thick slab made of copper or aluminum, it more readily responds to
the force applied to it by q1. The energy of q1 is not instantly consumed as heat generated by the
current of q2 but is also stored in two opposing magnetic fields. The energy density of magnetic
fields tends to vary with the square of the magnetic field's intensity; however, in the case of
magnetically non-linear materials such asferromagnets and superconductors,
this relationship breaks down.
Field energy[edit]
The electric field stores energy. The energy density of the electric field is given by:

In general the incremental amount of work per unit volume W needed to cause a small
change of magnetic flux density B is:

Conservation of momentum[edit]
Momentum must be conserved in the process, so if q1 is pushed in one direction,
then q2ought to be pushed in the other direction by the same force at the same time.
However, the situation becomes more complicated when the finite speed of
electromagnetic wave propagation is introduced (see retarded potential). This means that
for a brief period the total momentum of the two charges is not conserved, implying that
the difference should be accounted for by momentum in the fields, as asserted by Richard
P. Feynman.[3] Famous 19th century electrodynamicist James Clerk Maxwell called this the
"electromagnetic momentum".[4] Yet, such a treatment of fields may be necessary when
Lenz's law is applied to opposite charges. It is normally assumed that the charges in
question have the same sign. If they do not, such as a proton and an electron, the
interaction is different. An electron generating a magnetic field would generate an EMF that
causes a proton to accelerate in the same direction as the electron. At first, this might
seem to violate the law of conservation of momentum, but such an interaction is seen to
conserve momentum if the momentum of electromagnetic fields is taken into account.
Refraction
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the property of metals, see refraction (metallurgy). For the magic effect, see David Penn
(magician). For the refraction in atmosphere, see Atmospheric refraction.
Not to be confused with diffraction, the transmission and bending of waves around an obstacle..
An image of the Golden Gate Bridgeis refracted and bent by many differing three-dimensional drops
of water.
Refraction is the change in direction of propagation of a wave due to a change in its transmission
medium.
The phenomenon is explained by the conservation of energy and conservation of momentum. Due to
change of medium, the phase velocity of the wave is changed but its frequency remains constant.
This is most commonly observed when a wave passes from one medium to another at any angle
other than 0 from the normal. Refraction of light is the most commonly observed phenomenon, but
any type of wave can refract when it interacts with a medium, for example when sound waves pass
from one medium into another or when water waves move into water of a different depth. Refraction
is described by Snell's law, which states that for a given pair of media and a wave with a single
frequency, the ratio of the sines of the angle of incidence 1 and angle of refraction 2 is equivalent to
the ratio of phase velocities (v1 / v2) in the two media, or equivalently, to the opposite ratio of
the indices of refraction (n2 / n1):

In general, the incident wave is partially refracted and partially reflected; the details of this
behavior are described by the Fresnel equations.
Contents
[hide]

1 Explanation

2 Clinical significance

3 Acoustics

4 Gallery

5 See also

6 References

7 External links
Explanation

Refraction of light at the interface between two media of different refractive indices, with n 2 >
n1. Since the phase velocity is lower in the second medium (v 2 < v1), the angle of refraction
2 is less than the angle of incidence 1; that is, the ray in the higher-index medium is closer to
the normal.
In optics, refraction is a phenomenon that often occurs when waves travel from a medium with a
given refractive index to a medium with another at an oblique angle. At the boundary between the
media, the wave's phase velocity is altered, usually causing a change in direction.
Its wavelength increases or decreases but its frequency remains constant.[citation needed] For example,
a light ray will refract as it enters and leaves glass, assuming there is a change in refractive index.
A ray traveling along the normal (perpendicular to the boundary) will change speed, but not
direction. Refraction still occurs in this case. Understanding of this concept led to
the invention of lenses and the refracting telescope.

An object (in this case a pencil) part immersed in water looks bent due to refraction: the light
waves from X change direction and so seem to originate at Y. (More accurately, for any angle of
view, Y should be vertically above X, and the pencil should appear shorter, not longer as shown.)
Refraction can be seen when looking into a bowl of water. Air has a refractive index of about
1.0003, and water has a refractive index of about 1.3330. If a person looks at a straight object,
such as a pencil or straw, which is placed at a slant, partially in the water, the object appears to
bend at the water's surface. This is due to the bending of light rays as they move from the water to
the air. Once the rays reach the eye, the eye traces them back as straight lines (lines of sight).
The lines of sight (shown as dashed lines) intersect at a higher position than where the actual
rays originated. This causes the pencil to appear higher and the water to appear shallower than it
really is. The depth that the water appears to be when viewed from above is known as
the apparent depth. This is an important consideration for spearfishing from the surface because it
will make the target fish appear to be in a different place, and the fisher must aim lower to catch
the fish. Conversely, an object above the water has a higher apparent height when viewed from
below the water. The opposite correction must be made by an archer fish.[1] For small angles of
incidence (measured from the normal, when sin is approximately the same as tan ), the ratio of
apparent to real depth is the ratio of the refractive indexes of air to that of water. But as the angle
of incidence approaches 90o, the apparent depth approaches zero, albeit reflection increases,
which limits observation at high angles of incidence. Conversely, the apparent height approaches
infinity as the angle of incidence (from below) increases, but even earlier, as the angle of total
internal reflection is approached, albeit the image also fades from view as this limit is approached.

Diagram of refraction of water waves.

The diagram on the right shows an example of refraction in water waves. Ripples travel from the
left and pass over a shallower region inclined at an angle to the wavefront. The waves travel
slower in the more shallow water, so the wavelength decreases and the wave bends at the
boundary. The dotted line represents the normal to the boundary. The dashed line represents the
original direction of the waves. This phenomenon explains why waves on a shoreline tend to strike
the shore close to a perpendicular angle. As the waves travel from deep water into shallower
water near the shore, they are refracted from their original direction of travel to an angle more
normal to the shoreline.[2]Refraction is also responsible for rainbows and for the splitting of white
light into a rainbow-spectrum as it passes through a glass prism. Glass has a higher refractive
index than air. When a beam of white light passes from air into a material having an index of
refraction that varies with frequency, a phenomenon known as dispersion occurs, in which
different coloured components of the white light are refracted at different angles, i.e., they bend by
different amounts at the interface, so that they become separated. The different colors correspond
to different frequencies.
While refraction allows for phenomena such as rainbows, it may also produce peculiar optical
phenomena, such as mirages and Fata Morgana. These are caused by the change of the
refractive index of air with temperature.
The refractive index of materials can also be nonlinear, as occurs with the Kerr effect when high
intensity light leads to a refractive index proportional to the intensity of the incident light.
Recently some metamaterials have been created which have a negative refractive index. With
metamaterials, we can also obtain total refraction phenomena when the wave impedances of the
two media are matched. There is then no reflected wave. [3]
Also, since refraction can make objects appear closer than they are, it is responsible for allowing
water to magnify objects. First, as light is entering a drop of water, it slows down. If the water's
surface is not flat, then the light will be bent into a new path. This round shape will bend the light
outwards and as it spreads out, the image you see gets larger.

Refraction of light at the interface between two media.

An analogy that is often put forward to explain the refraction of light is as follows: "Imagine a
marching band as they march at an oblique angle from pavement (a fast medium) into mud (a

slower medium). The marchers on the side that runs into the mud first will slow down first. This
causes the whole band to pivot slightly toward the normal (make a smaller angle from the
normal)."
An explanation of why refraction occurs when light travels from a medium with a given refractive
index to a medium with another is easily explained by the path integral formulationof quantum
mechanics (the complete method was developed in 1948 by Richard Feynman). Feynman
humorously explained it himself in the recording "QED: Fits of Reflection and Transmission Quantum Behaviour - Richard Feynman (The Sir Douglas Robb Lectures, University of Auckland,
1979)". The path that light seems to travel is always the path with the least time taken. To
paraphrase it, imagine that you're lifeguard and there's a pretty girl drowning in the sea. Because
you can run faster on the beach than you can swim in the water, it can be proven that there's only
one fastest way how to get to that girl. Of course, it would be foolish to make such calculation
under the circumstances, but there's one optimum spot where you should hit the water. This is
analogous to the cause of bending in light when it travels from one environment to another in
which the speed of distribution of light is different .

Reflection (physics)
Reflection is the change in direction of a wavefrontat an interface between two different media so
that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated. Common examples include the
reflection of light, sound and water waves. The law of reflectionsays that for specular reflection the
angle at which the wave is incident on the surface equals the angle at which it is
reflected. Mirrors exhibit specular reflection.
In acoustics, reflection causes echoes and is used insonar. In geology, it is important in the study
ofseismic waves. Reflection is observed with surface waves in bodies of water. Reflection is observed
with many types of electromagnetic wave, besides visible light. Reflection of VHF and higher
frequencies is important for radiotransmission and for radar. Even hard X-rays and gamma rays can
be reflected at shallow angles with special "grazing" mirrors.
Reflection of light
Reflection of light is either specular (mirror-like) ordiffuse (retaining the energy, but losing the image)
depending on the nature of the interface. In specular reflection the phase of the reflected waves
depends on the choice of the origin of coordinates, but the relative phase between s and p (TE and
TM) polarizations is fixed by the properties of the media and of the interface between them. [1]
A mirror provides the most common model for specular light reflection, and typically consists of a
glass sheet with a metallic coating where the reflection actually occurs. Reflection is enhanced in
metals by suppression of wave propagation beyond their skin depths. Reflection also occurs at the
surface of transparent media, such as water or glass
In the diagram at left, a light ray PO strikes a vertical mirror at point O, and the reflected ray is OQ. By
projecting an imaginary line through point O perpendicular to the mirror, known as the normal, we can
measure the angle of incidence, i and the angle of reflection, r. The law of reflection states that i =
r, or in other words, the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

In fact, reflection of light may occur whenever light travels from a medium of a given refractive
index into a medium with a different refractive index. In the most general case, a certain fraction of
the light is reflected from the interface, and the remainder is refracted. Solving Maxwell's
equations for a light ray striking a boundary allows the derivation of the Fresnel equations, which can
be used to predict how much of the light is reflected, and how much is refracted in a given situation.
This is analogous to the wayimpedance mismatch in an electric circuit causes reflection of
signals. Total internal reflectionof light from a denser medium occurs if the angle of incidence is above
the critical angle.
Total internal reflection is used as a means of focusing waves that cannot effectively be reflected by
common means. X-ray telescopes are constructed by creating a converging "tunnel" for the waves.
As the waves interact at low angle with the surface of this tunnel they are reflected toward the focus
point (or toward another interaction with the tunnel surface, eventually being directed to the detector
at the focus). A conventional reflector would be useless as the X-rays would simply pass through the
intended reflector.
When light reflects off a material denser (with higher refractive index) than the external medium, it
undergoes a polarity inversion. In contrast, a less dense, lower refractive index material will reflect
light in phase. This is an important principle in the field of thin-film optics.
Specular reflection forms images. Reflection from a flat surface forms a mirror image, which appears
to be reversed from left to right because we compare the image we see to what we would see if we
were rotated into the position of the image. Specular reflection at a curved surface forms an image
which may be magnified or demagnified; curved mirrors have optical power. Such mirrors may have
surfaces that are spherical or parabolic.
Laws of reflection[edit]

An example of the law of reflection

Main article: Specular reflection
If the reflecting surface is very smooth, the reflection of light that occurs is called specular or regular
reflection. The laws of reflection are as follows:
1. The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal to the reflection surface at the point of the
incidence lie in the same plane.
2. The angle which the incident ray makes with the normal is equal to the angle which the
reflected ray makes to the same normal.
3. The reflected ray and the incident ray are on the opposite sides of the normal.
These three laws can all be derived from the Fresnel equations.

Mechanism[edit]
In classical electrodynamics, light is considered as an electromagnetic wave, which is described
by Maxwell's equations. Light waves incident on a material induce small oscillations of polarisation in
the individual atoms (or oscillation of electrons, in metals), causing each particle to radiate a small
secondary wave in all directions, like a dipole antenna. All these waves add up to give specular
reflection and refraction, according to theHuygensFresnel principle.
In the case of dielectrics such as glass, the electric field of the light acts on the electrons in the
material, and the moving electrons generate fields and become new radiators. The refracted light in
the glass is the combination of the forward radiation of the electrons and the incident light. The
reflected light is the combination of the backward radiation of all of the electrons.
In metals, electrons with no binding energy are called free electrons. When these electrons oscillate
with the incident light, the phase difference between their radiation field and the incident field is
(180), so the forward radiation cancels the incident light, and backward radiation is just the reflected
light.
Lightmatter interaction in terms of photons is a topic of quantum electrodynamics, and is described
in detail by Richard Feynman in his popular book QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter.

Neutron reflection[edit]
Materials that reflect neutrons, for example beryllium, are used in nuclear reactors andnuclear
weapons. In the physical and biological sciences, the reflection of neutrons off of atoms within a
material is commonly used to determine the material's internal structure.

Sound reflection
When a longitudinal sound wave strikes a flat surface, sound is reflected in a coherent manner
provided that the dimension of the reflective surface is large compared to the wavelength of the
sound. Note that audible sound has a very wide frequency range (from 20 to about 17000 Hz), and
thus a very wide range of wavelengths (from about 20 mm to 17 m). As a result, the overall nature of
the reflection varies according to the texture and structure of the surface. For example, porous
materials will absorb some energy, and rough materials (where rough is relative to the wavelength)
tend to reflect in many directionsto scatter the energy, rather than to reflect it coherently. This leads
into the field of architectural acoustics, because the nature of these reflections is critical to the
auditory feel of a space. In the theory of exterior noise mitigation, reflective surface size mildly
detracts from the concept of a noise barrier by reflecting some of the sound into the opposite
direction.
Seismic reflection[edit]

For more details on this topic, see reflection seismology.

Seismic waves produced by earthquakes or other sources (such as explosions) may be reflected by
layers within the Earth. Study of the deep reflections of waves generated by earthquakes has
allowed seismologists to determine the layered structure of the Earth. Shallower reflections are used
in reflection seismology to study the Earth's crust generally, and in particular to prospect
for petroleum and natural gas deposits.
Types of Spherical Mirrors
The two types of spherical mirrors are concave and convex. Each type reflects images in a different
fashion. This is due to the curve of the mirror. A good example of how a curved mirror alters an image
can be seen in a fun house mirror. The image reflected back can make a person look tall and skinny
or short and fat.
Concave Mirror
Light does not bend. A most significant property of light is that it travels in a straight line from its
source to whatever surface it touches. The rays of light may be long or short; regardless, rays of light
are always straight. A concave mirror is composed of a reflective surface with its sides curved closer
in distance to your eye than its middle surface. Let's look at what happens to rays of light, traveling at
approximately 186,000 miles per second (the speed of light), when they strike a concave mirror's
surface.