Suppose you wanted to build an electric generator using the Earth’s magnetic field. Assume it has a strength of 0.040 mT at your location. Your generator design calls for a coil of 1000 windings rotated at exactly 60 Hz. The coil is oriented so that the normal to the area lines up with the Earth’s field at the end of each cycle.
(a) What must the coil diameter be to generate a maximum voltage of 170 V (required in order to average 120 V)? Does this seem like a practical design?
(b) Some generators operate at 50 Hz. How would this change the coil diameter?
(c) What number of windings would make this coil arrangement a “manageable” size?