Final answer:
To thaw a frozen water pipe, you can use a coil carrying an alternating current (AC) to generate heat through an eddy current, regardless of whether the pipe is a conductor or not.
Step-by-step explanation:
To thaw out a frozen water pipe, you can wrap a coil carrying an alternating current (AC) around it. When an AC current flows through the coil, it generates an alternating magnetic field. This magnetic field induces an eddy current in the pipe, causing it to heat up and thaw the ice inside. It does not matter whether the pipe is a conductor or not because the heat is generated primarily through the magnetic field.