If you look at the figure again, you'll notice that (aside from the charge Q outside the solenoid), the entire situation looks exactly the same if you rotate the figure about the center of the solenoid. We say, then, that the problem is rotationally symmetric. We can use this symmetry to argue that i) the electric field induced by the changing current in the solenoid must be oriented tangent to any circular path concentric with the solenoid and ii) the component of the electric field along our imaginary circular path must be constant all along that circle. 6. So, now that we know from symmetry that the induced electric field must be tangent to our imaginary circle of radius R2, in which sense is the electric field oriented: clockwise or counter- clockwise? One way to answer this is to consider what would happen if there were an actual conducting wire placed along our imaginary loop. Use Lenz' law to figure out the direction of the current that would be induced if you did this, and from this, determine the direction of the electric field