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Posted by Harold Kestenholz - hydronic.net on March 29, 2002 at 10:10:05:
In Reply to: voltage posted by jack on March 02, 2002 at 05:23:59:
: What 3 factors are you used to induce voltage?
That is a fun, open-ended question designed to promote discussion. The arbitrary entry point is the word "factor' and its meaning. Implied as a part of a mathematical formula, the factors may be different from the the word factor as a 'contibutor to the result.' English and mathematics are two different languages used to describe the same phenomenon.
The result of induced voltage requires an electromagnetic field changing in either amplitude or frequency, or both. You do not need a moving magnet to produce the field, or a transformer would not qualify, as the transformer primary does not move to induce a current in the secondary.
Another requirement is a conductor within the varying electomagnetic field. If the conductor is one 'factor' and the concept that the conductor is within the field is another 'factor', then you have two factors and you are done; because that is three.
But, to go on, a voltage is not produced until there is resistance. The fact that a conductor HAS a resistance because it is a material can be an implied factor, then you still have three. But you might have four if (1) the varying field, (2) the conductor (3) the implied resistance of a conductor (4) the actual and measured resistance of the conductor is considered; because in logic, mathematics, and English, concepts are often separate factors and (3) differs from (4) although they are within the same field of thought.
After all, voltage will not exist (a difference in electrical pressure) without a resistance. We are not done, because voltage is another factor, so this could be the 4th or 5th factor, depending upon our acceptance of conceptual resistance and actual resistance, and the result as part of the question; after all, Ohm's Law does not work without all three, E I R, in the mix.
The person who required you to disucss this is now in the predicament or being a creative or destructive leader; either accepting that there are possibly more than just 3 factors and encouraging you to search further, or playing the part of the Inquisition to keep the world flat. So ultimately, another very real 'factor' enters into the fray - will the taskmaster use charisma to promote limited or unbounded inquiry? Is this the 6th 'factor?' Aren't you glad you asked?