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songoku
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Homework Statement
When an aircraft flies from east to west its wings are electrical conductor cutting across the Earth magnetic flux.
a. In northern hemisphere, which wingtip will become positively charged?
b. Why will this wingtip be negative when in southern hemisphere?
Homework Equations
Faraday law
Lenz law
Fleming rule
The Attempt at a Solution
I think I need to clear up several things before I am able to answer the question
1. Why it can be said the airplane cuts the magnetic field of Earth so emf is induced in it? Maybe the answer will be the same if I ask why emf is induced in conductor moving with constant speed in uniform magnetic field.
I read this link:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/physics/chapter/23-3-motional-emf/
It is written that when the rod moves, the area enclosed by the rod and rails increasses so there is change in magnetic flux, hence emf induced.
Now if I remove the rail, and the conductor still moves to the right with constant speed, will emf still be induced in it? Will there be "area" enclosed just like when the rail not removed?
Or maybe I use fleming's left hand rule to deterimine the direction of lorentz force acting on electrons in the conductor and when the electrons are being pushed by this force there is induced current and when the electrons stop moving (accumulated on one side of the conductor) the induced current becomes zero because there is no "external circuit" for the electrons to flow?
2. I read that Earth has vertical and horizontal component of magnetic field and at equator the vertical component is approximately zero and at north and south poles the horizontal component is approximately zero. I do not understand why. I google the pictures of Earth magnetic field and still can not understand. Which direction is taken as vertical and horizontal?
Thanks