Q.(i) Define mutual inductance of a pair of coils. Write its SI unit.
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Mutual Inductance: From Intuition to Definition
Imagine you have two separate coils of wire placed near each other. You connect one coil to a battery — current starts flowing through it. Now, something strange happens in the other coil, which isn't connected to anything: a voltage appears across its ends. That voltage can even light a small bulb for an instant.
This is mutual inductance in action. One circuit "feels" the changing current in another circuit, even though they are not physically connected.
The Core Intuition
The key idea is changing magnetic fields. When current flows through a coil, it creates a magnetic field around it. If that current changes (increases or decreases), the magnetic field also changes. This changing field reaches the second coil. And a changing magnetic field, by Faraday's law, induces an electromotive force (emf) in any nearby conductor.
So mutual inductance is simply: how effectively a change in current in one coil induces a voltage in another coil.
Mutual inductance only works when the current is changing. A steady DC current produces a steady magnetic field, which induces nothing in the second coil. That's why the bulb lights only for an instant when you first connect the battery — the current is rising from zero.
The Precise Definition
Let's formalise this. Consider two coils: coil 1 and coil 2. Let I1 be the current in coil 1. This current produces a magnetic flux Φ21 through coil 2 (the flux from coil 1 that passes through coil 2).
The mutual inductance M (also written M21) is defined as the constant of proportionality between the current I1 and the flux it produces in coil 2:
Φ21=MI1
Similarly, if current I2 flows in coil 2, it produces a flux Φ12 through coil 1:
Φ12=MI2
The mutual inductance M is the same for both directions. M21=M12=M. This is a fundamental symmetry property.
Now, by Faraday's law, the induced emf in coil 2 due to a changing current in coil 1 is:
E2=−dtdΦ21=−MdtdI1
And the induced emf in coil 1 due to a changing current in coil 2 is:
E1=−MdtdI2
The negative sign is Lenz's law — the induced emf opposes the change that produced it.
Units
The SI unit of mutual inductance is the henry (H), named after Joseph Henry. From the definition:
1H=1AV⋅s=1AWb
One henry means that a current change of 1 ampere per second induces an emf of 1 volt in the other coil.
What Determines Mutual Inductance?
M depends on:
- Geometry: size, shape, number of turns of both coils
- Relative position: how close they are and how they are oriented
- Core material: if a magnetic material (like iron) is present, M increases dramatically
For two coaxial solenoids of length l, with N1 and N2 turns, and cross-sectional area A, the mutual inductance is: …
Why this formula?
Mutual Inductance: Why the Formula Holds
Mutual inductance is a beautiful example of Faraday's Law in action — it describes how a changing current in one coil can induce an EMF in a nearby coil, without any direct electrical connection.
1. The Core Idea: Flux Linkage
Imagine two coils, Coil 1 and Coil 2, placed close together.
- When a current I1 flows in Coil 1, it creates a magnetic field B1.
- Some of the magnetic field lines from Coil 1 pass through Coil 2.
- The total magnetic flux through Coil 2 due to I1 is called the mutual flux:
Φ21=flux through Coil 2 due to current in Coil 1
Key insight: For a fixed geometry (coils not moving), the mutual flux is directly proportional to the current I1:
Φ21∝I1
Why? Because B1 itself is proportional to I1 (Biot–Savart law), and the area of Coil 2 is fixed. So:
Φ21=M21I1
where M21 is the mutual inductance (a constant depending on coil shapes, sizes, turns, and relative positions).
2. Why the EMF Formula Arises
Now, if I1 changes with time, then Φ21 changes with time. By Faraday's Law, a changing flux induces an EMF in Coil 2:
E2=−dtdΦ21
Substitute Φ21=M21I1:
E2=−M21dtdI1
That's the key formula. The negative sign (Lenz's law) tells us the induced EMF opposes the change in flux.
3. Symmetry: M12=M21
If we reverse the situation — current I2 in Coil 2 induces flux Φ12 in Coil 1 — we get:
Φ12=M12I2
and
E1=−M12dtdI2
A deep result from energy conservation (or from the reciprocity theorem in electromagnetism) shows:
M12=M21=M
So we simply call it M, the mutual inductance between the two coils.
4. The Complete Formula Set
| Quantity | Expression | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Mutual flux (Coil 2 due to Coil 1) | Φ21=MI1 | Proportionality from Biot–Savart |
| Induced EMF in Coil 2 | E2=−MdtdI1 | Faraday's Law |
| Mutual flux (Coil 1 due to Coil 2) | Φ12=MI2 | Symmetry |
| Induced EMF in Coil 1 | E1=−MdtdI2 | Faraday's Law |
5. Physical Intuition (Exam-Ready) …
Part (b)Concept understanding — Force Between Parallel Wires
Force Between Parallel Current-Carrying Wires
Imagine two long, straight wires placed side by side, each carrying an electric current. You already know that a current-carrying wire creates a magnetic field around it. And you know that a wire placed in a magnetic field experiences a magnetic force. So here, each wire sits inside the magnetic field created by the other wire. That is the whole story — each wire feels a force because of the other wire's magnetic field.
The direction of that force — attraction or repulsion — depends on whether the currents flow in the same direction or opposite directions.
The Intuition
Take two wires with currents in the same direction. Use the right-hand thumb rule: for wire 1, the magnetic field lines circle around it. At the location of wire 2, that field points in a particular direction. Now apply the right-hand rule for force on a current-carrying wire (Fleming's left-hand rule works too): the current in wire 2, crossed with the field from wire 1, gives a force toward wire 1. The same reasoning from wire 2's perspective gives a force on wire 1 toward wire 2. So they attract.
If the currents are opposite, the field directions reverse, and the forces point away from each other — they repel.
A quick memory aid: Same direction → Attract; Opposite direction → Repel. This is the opposite of what you might guess from electric charges, where like charges repel. Don't mix them up.
The Precise Statement
For two long, straight, parallel wires separated by a distance d, carrying steady currents I1 and I2, the magnitude of the force per unit length on either wire is:
LF=2πdμ0I1I2
where μ0=4π×10−7N/A2 is the permeability of free space.
The force is attractive if the currents are in the same direction, repulsive if they are opposite.
Where Does This Formula Come From?
Wire 1 produces a magnetic field at the location of wire 2. The magnitude of that field is:
B1=2πdμ0I1
This field is perpendicular to wire 2. The magnetic force on a length L of wire 2 carrying current I2 in a perpendicular field B1 is:
F=I2LB1
Substitute B1:
F=I2L⋅2πdμ0I1
Divide both sides by L to get force per unit length:
LF=2πdμ0I1I2
That is the entire derivation — two simple steps: field from one wire, then force on the other.
This formula assumes the wires are infinitely long (or at least very long compared to d) and thin. It gives the force per unit length, which is constant along the wires.
The Definition of the Ampere
This effect is so fundamental that it defines the SI unit of current. One ampere is defined as the constant current which, when flowing through two infinitely long, straight, parallel wires of negligible cross-section placed one metre apart in vacuum, produces a force of exactly 2×10−7 newtons per metre of length between them. …
Mutual inductance and force between parallel currents
Part (a) — solenoid and coaxial loop
(i) Mutual inductance M=I1Φ2 (flux linked in one coil per unit current in the other); ε2=−MdI1/dt. SI unit: henry (H).
(ii) Long solenoid (n turns/length) carrying Is: uniform field B=μ0nIs. A coaxial loop of radius r<R intercepts flux …
Loop inside a long solenoid: M=μ0nπr2 (henry). Parallel wires: each feels F=2πdμ0IaIbL, attractive for same-direction currents, equal and opposite (Newton's third law).
Part (a) — mutual inductance of a solenoid and a coaxial loop
(i) Mutual inductance M is the flux linkage produced in one coil per unit current in another: M=I1N2Φ21, with induced emf ε2=−MdtdI1. Its SI unit is the henry (H) (=Wb/A=V⋅s/A).
(ii) Inside a long solenoid of n turns per unit length carrying Is, the field is uniform:
B=μ0nIs.
A coaxial single-turn loop of radius r<R intercepts this field over its area πr2:
Φloop=Bπr2=μ0nIsπr2.
Therefore
M=IsΦloop=μ0nπr2=Lμ0Nπr2(n=N/L). …
Showing the 12 most recent of 14 on this concept.
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Two long parallel wires each carrying a current of 1 A in the same direction, are placed 1 m apart. The force of attraction between them is(a) 2 x 10^7 N/m(b) 2 x 10^-4 N/m(c) 2 x 10^-7 N/m(d) 4 x 10^-7 N/m
›Reveal solutionSolution
Two parallel current-carrying wires attract if their currents are in the same direction; the force per unit length is mu_0I1I2/(2pid).
Each current-carrying wire produces a magnetic field around it, and this field exerts a force on the other current-carrying wire (F = I*L x B). The standard result for the force per unit length between two long straight parallel wires carrying currents I1 and I2, separated by a distance d, is
F/L = mu_0 * I1 * I2 / (2 * pi * d)
…
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Assertion (A): Two infinitely long straight conductors carrying current in the same direction attract each other. Reason (R): The net magnetic field at a point exactly halfway between two infinitely long straight conductors carrying current in the same direction is zero.(a) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and reason is the correct explanation(b) Both Assertion and Reason are true, but the Reason is not the correct explanation(c) Assertion is true, but Reason is false.(d) Assertion is false, but Reason is true.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Both statements are individually correct, but the field being zero at the midpoint is not why the two wires attract each other.
Checking the Assertion: Two infinitely long straight parallel conductors carrying current in the SAME direction do attract each other. Each wire sits in the magnetic field created by the other wire, and using F=IL×B (or the right-hand/Fleming's left-hand rule), the force on each wire due to the other's field points towards the other wire. So the Assertion is TRUE.
Checking the Reason: Take the two wires along the y-axis at x=−a and x=+a, both carrying current I in the +y direction. At the midpoint (origin), using B=2πrμ0Iϕ^ with ϕ^=I^×r^: the field due to the left wire points in +y^′s perpendicular direction (say +z^), while the field due to the right wire (displacement now in −x^ from that wire) points in the opposite transverse direction (−z^). Since both wires are equidistant and carry equal current, these two fields are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction — they cancel exactly. So the net field at the midpoint IS zero when the currents …
- CBSE 2026Set SEM31 markMCQQ.The dimensional formula of coefficient of mutual inductance is(a) [ ML²T⁻²I² ](b) [ ML²T⁻²I⁻² ](c) [ ML⁻²T²I² ](d) [ ML⁻²T⁻²I⁻² ]
›Reveal solutionSolution
Mutual inductance M satisfies EMF = M(dI/dt), so [M] = [EMF]·[time]/[current] = [ML²T⁻²I⁻²]. Option (b).
Step 1 — defining relation: The induced emf in the secondary is ε = M(dI/dt), so M = ε/(dI/dt).
Step 2 — dimensions of emf (a potential difference): [ε] = [ML²T⁻³I⁻¹].
Step 3 — dI/dt has dimensions [I T⁻¹].
Step 4 — divide: [M] = [ML²T⁻³I⁻¹]/[I T⁻¹] = [ML²T⁻²I⁻²].
…
- CBSE 2025Set D1 markMCQQ.Dimensional formula of permeability is (A) [MLT^-2 A^-2] (B) [MLT^2 A^-2] (C) [MLT^2 A^2] (D) [MLT^-2 A]
›Reveal solutionSolution
Using the force per unit length between two wires, μ₀ works out to dimensions [M L T⁻² A⁻²].
The force per unit length between two parallel current-carrying wires is
ℓF=2πdμ0I1I2
Solving for μ₀:
μ0=I1I22πd(F/ℓ)
…
- CBSE 2025Set A1 markQ.Write answer in one sentence: Write the SI unit of mutual inductance.
›Reveal solutionSolution
The SI unit of mutual inductance is the henry (H).
Mutual inductance M between two coils is defined through ε2=−MdtdI1, i.e., the emf induced in the secondary coil per unit rate of change of current in the primary coil. Its SI unit, the henry (H), is defined such that 1 H is the mutual inductance between two coils when a cu …
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Assertion: The turns of a spring come close to each other, when current is passed through it. Reason: It is because, the turns of a spring carry current in same direction and hence attract each other.(a) If both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.(b) If both assertion and reason are true but reason is not a correct explanation of assertion.(c) Assertion is true but reason is false.(d) Both assertion and reason are false.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Adjacent turns of a current-carrying spring act like parallel wires carrying current in the same direction, which attract each other by the magnetic force between parallel currents — so the coils are pulled together.
Two straight parallel conductors carrying currents in the SAME direction attract each other (force per unit length F/l=μ0I1I2/2πd, attractive for like-directed currents, repulsive for opposite). A spring is essentially a coil of many closely-spaced turns; each turn carries current in the same sense as its neighbours. Treating adjacent turns as parallel current-carrying wires, they attract each other, so the spring's turns are pulled closer together ( …
- CBSE 2024Set 55/5/11 markMCQQ.Two coils are placed near each other. When the current in one coil is changed at the rate of 5A/s, an emf of 2mV is induced in the other. The mutual inductance of the two coils is ______. (A) 0.4mH (B) 2.5mH (C) 10mH (D) 2.5H
›Reveal solutionSolution
The mutual inductance M is defined by the induced emf E=−Mdtdi.
Using the given values: E=2×10−3V, dtdi=5A/s, we get M=0.4×10−3H=0.4mH.
The correct option is (A).
The idea is simple: mutual inductance tells you how effectively a changing current in one coil “induces” an emf in a neighbouring coil. The definition is direct — the induced emf in the second coil is proportional to the rate of change of current in the first coil, and the constant of proportionality is the mutual inductance M.
The formula is:
E=−Mdtdi
The negative sign is Lenz’s law (direction of induced emf), but for magnitude we drop the sign.
Let’s work it out.
-
Write down what’s given
- Rate of change of current in the first coil: dtdi=5A/s
- Induced emf in the second coil: E=2mV=2×10−3V
- We need M.
-
Use the defining relation
From E=Mdtdi (taking magnitude), we get:
M=di/dtE
- Plug in the numbers
M=52×10−3=0.4×10−3H
That’s 0.4 millihenry. …
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- CBSE 2024Set 55/1/11 markMCQQ.For question 14, two statements are given – one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled Reason (R). Select the correct answer from the codes (A), (B), (C) and (D) below. (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A). (B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A). (C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false. (D) Assertion (A) is false and Reason (R) is also false. Assertion (A) : The mutual inductance between two coils is maximum when the coils are wound on each other. Reason (R) : The flux linkage between two coils is maximum when they are wound on each other.
›Reveal solutionSolution
The mutual inductance between two coils depends on the flux linkage between them. Winding the coils on each other places them as close as possible, maximising the flux linkage and therefore the mutual inductance. Both Assertion and Reason are true, and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.
Mutual inductance M between two coils is defined by the relation M=I1N2Φ21, where Φ21 is the magnetic flux through coil 2 due to current I1 in coil 1, and N2 is the number of turns in coil 2. The key physical idea is simple: mutual inductance measures how effectively a changing current in one coil induces an emf in another. The closer the coils are, and the more their magnetic fields overlap, the larger the mutual inductance.
When two coils are wound directly on each other (like one layer of wire over another on the same core), almost every magnetic field line produced by one coil passes through the other coil. This gives the maximum possible flux linkage — the fraction of flux from one coil that threads the other is nearly 100%. If the coils were separated or placed at an angle, some flux would leak out, reducing the linkage and hence the mutual inductance.
Now let’s examine the statements step by step.
-
Assertion (A) says mutual inductance is maximum when coils are wound on each other. This is true. The mutual inductance depends on geometry, distance, and orientation. Winding one coil directly over the other gives the smallest possible separation and the best alignment, so the coupling coefficient k (where M=kL1L2) approaches 1. That is the maximum possible value for a given pair of coils.
-
Reason (R) says flux linkage between two coils is maximum when they are wound on each other. This is also true. Flux linkage is the product of the number of turns and the magnetic flux passing through the coil. When coils are wound on each other, the magnetic field lines from one coil almost entirely pass through the other coil’s turns, giving the highest possible flux linkage. …
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- CBSE 2024Set 55/1/11 markMCQQ.For question 15, two statements are given – one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled Reason (R). Select the correct answer from the codes (A), (B), (C) and (D) below. (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A). (B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A). (C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false. (D) Assertion (A) is false and Reason (R) is also false. Assertion (A) : Two long parallel wires, freely suspended and connected in series to a battery, move apart. Reason (R) : Two wires carrying current in opposite directions repel each other.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Connected in series, the two freely suspended parallel wires carry equal currents in opposite directions — the current goes out along one wire and returns along the other. Antiparallel currents repel, so the wires move apart. Both statements are true and the Reason is exactly why the wires separate. The correct option is (A).
The physical setup: what does "in series" mean here?
When two long parallel wires hang freely side by side and are joined in series to a battery, there is a single current path: the current leaves the battery, travels along the first wire, crosses over at the far end, and comes back along the second wire to the battery. Because the second wire carries the return current, the two adjacent wires carry equal currents in opposite directions — antiparallel currents.
Force between the wires
Each wire sits in the magnetic field created by the other. For two long parallel wires a distance d apart carrying currents I1 and I2, the force per unit length on either wire is
LF=2πdμ0I1I2
with the standard direction rule: parallel (same-direction) currents attract; antiparallel (opposite-direction) currents repel. You can check this with F=IL×B: for opposite currents, the field of wire 1 at wire 2 gives a force on wire 2 pointing away from wire 1, and by Newton's third law wire 1 is pushed away from wire 2 with equal magnitude.
Evaluating the statements
- Assertion (A): "Two long parallel wires, freely suspended and connected in series to a battery, move apart." As shown above, the series connection makes the currents antiparallel, the wires repel, and — being freely suspended — they move apart. True. …
- CBSE 2024Set A1 markMCQQ.The nature of electron beams moving with uniform velocity in the same direction will be (A) converging (B) diverging (C) parallel (D) none of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
Like charges repel electrostatically; this force exceeds the magnetic attraction at ordinary speeds, so the beams diverge.
Two parallel electron beams experience two effects:
- As parallel currents in the same direction, the magnetic force is attractive.
- As streams of like (negative) charges, the electrostatic force is repulsive. …
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Two long parallel wires each carrying a current of 1 A in the same direction, are placed 1 m apart. The force of attraction between them is(a) 2 x 10^-7 N/m(b) 2 x 10^-4 N/m(c) 1 x 10^-7 N/m(d) 4 x 10^-7 N/m
›Reveal solutionSolution
Two parallel current-carrying wires attract each other (same direction) with a force per unit length given by mu0 I1 I2 / (2pid).
The force per unit length between two long parallel wires carrying currents I1 and I2, separated by distance d, is
lF=2πdμ0I1I2
Substituting μ0=4π×10−7 T m/A, I1=I2=1 A, d=1 m:
lF=2π×14π×10−7×1×1=2×10−7 N/m
…
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Fill in the blank: The force between two parallel current carrying conductors (flowing in the same direction) is __________.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Two parallel current-carrying conductors carrying current in the same direction attract each other.
Each current-carrying conductor sets up a magnetic field around itself (by the Biot-Savart/Ampere law), and the other conductor, carrying current in that field, experiences a force F=BIL (via F=IL×B). Working out the directions with the right-hand rule shows that when the currents flow in the same direction, the force on each conductor points toward the other - i.e. the conductors …
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