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Question #43284
The Question
A uniform rigid rod of mass and length is freely pivoted at its upper end. A small soft iron core of mass and volume is attached to the lower end. The pendulum is released from rest in the horizontal position (). At the lowest point of its swing, the iron core passes through a narrow region of localized magnetic field. During this brief passage, the external magnetic field exerts a total retarding angular impulse of on the pendulum about the pivot. The soft iron core undergoes exactly one complete hysteresis cycle during the passage. The area of the hysteresis loop for the soft iron material is . Assuming the rod is non-magnetic and non-conducting, what is the energy dissipated as heat due to eddy currents in the iron core? (Take )
Options
- A.
- B.
- C.
- D.
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Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Intuition_Breaker
Train your brain to resist "obvious" answers that are designed to deceive your intuition.
Concepts Behind This Question
Soft vs Hard Magnetic Materials|Impulsive Torque and Angular Momentum
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
This question tests the student's ability to reconcile macroscopic rigid-body dynamics (impulse and momentum) with microscopic continuum energy dissipation (hysteresis and eddy currents).
The primary trap is assuming that the given angular impulse is solely due to eddy currents, leading students to incorrectly attribute the entire kinetic energy loss to eddy currents.
In reality, the non-conservative nature of the hysteresis loop (where magnetization lags the external field) produces a macroscopic retarding force.
Thus, the total angular impulse and the corresponding total kinetic energy loss account for both hysteresis and eddy current dissipation.
Students must apply the Work-Energy theorem to find the total loss and subtract the hysteresis loss () to isolate the eddy current contribution.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Physics |
| Chapter | Magnetism and Matter - Class 12 |
| Concept | Soft vs Hard Magnetic Materials |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 7 |
| Target Solve Time | 160 sec |
| Access | Free |