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An electromotive force (emf) is the "force", measured in volts, that is produced by interaction between a current and a magnetic field, at least one of which is
changing. Since the word "force" now has a very specific meaning in physics, and an emf is not a force in this sense, the expansion of the acronym is considered
obsolete; or at best, an embarrassing historical artifact.
The emf describes the electrical effect of a changing magnetic
field. In the presence of a magnetic field, the electric
potential and hence the potential difference (commonly
known as voltage) is undefined (see the former) — hence the need for distinct concepts of emf and potential difference.
Technically, the emf is an effective potential difference included in a circuit to make Kirchhoff's voltage law valid:
it is exactly the amount from Faraday's law of
induction by which the line integral of the electric field around the circuit is not zero. The emf is then given by
L di/dt, where i is the current and L is the inductance of the
circuit.
Given this emf and the resistance of the circuit, the
instantaneous current can be computed with Ohm's Law, for example, or more
generally by solving the differential equations that arise out of Kirchhoff's laws.
Emf is often used as a synonym for any potential difference, irrespective of the source of the potential difference. (E.g., a
battery, charged capacitor, or electret might be the source.) This usage is considered obsolete.
See also: electrochemical potential, magnetomotive force
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