Difference between Oersted’s and Faraday’s Experiment
Oerstad’s Expt.
1) H. C. Oerstad in 1820, during certain experiments with electric field he found that a needle magnet was deviated by its own.
2) After some more attempts of the experiment concluded that there is magnetic field around a conductor carrying current.
3) He took a magnetic needle and suspended it near a coil which is connected to source of electric energy by means of battery.
4) The arrangement made by him is shown as below,
Fig: Magnetic field produced around conductor, deflects the magnetic
5) He found that a magnetic needle kept near the coil gets deflected when current passes through the coil kept beside of needle.
6) The deflection in needle gets reversed when the direction of current is changed.
7) Hence he concluded that the magnetic field is produced around a coil when current flows through the coil.
8) Magnetic field produced around the conductor was found to be depending upon the amount of current, and distance of needle from the
9) This experiment introduces us with the most important phenomenon known as magnetic effect of electric current.
Faraday’s Expt.
1) Michael Faraday thinks over the Oerstad’s experiment and asked himself that if current can produced magnetic field it, then can magnetic field will produce the current?
2) He performed some experiments and tried to find out the answer for his curiosity.
3) He took a bar magnet, a coil of wire in the form of solenoid and a sensitive galvanometer.
4) The arrangement made by him is shown as below,
5) Sir Faraday changed the position of magnet continuously such that it moved to and fro in front of coil, as shown in diagram.
6) Sir Faraday observed the deflection in coil when magnet is moved to and fro continuously.
7) Hence he concluded that the current is induced in the coil when the magnetic field is changed around the coil.
8) The direction of current was changing with the movement of magnet/ magnetic field.
9) This experiment introduces the iconic concept of electromagnetic induction.