Question

An induction stove heats a pot with a coil carrying an alternating current located beneath the pot (and without a hot surface). Can the stove surface be a conductor? Why won’t a coil carrying a direct current work?

a) Yes, the stove surface can be a conductor. A coil carrying a direct current won't work because it does not induce eddy currents in the pot.

b) No, the stove surface cannot be a conductor. A coil carrying a direct current won't work because it does not produce a magnetic field.

c) Yes, the stove surface can be a conductor. A coil carrying a direct current won't work because it induces eddy currents in the pot.

d) No, the stove surface cannot be a conductor. A coil carrying a direct current won't work because it does not create a magnetic field.

Answer 1

The induction stove surface can indeed be a conductor; however, it requires an alternating current to produce a varying magnetic field, which induces eddy currents in the ferromagnetic pot base to heat it. Direct current is ineffective as it creates a constant magnetic field that cannot induce these currents.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question is a) Yes, the stove surface can be a conductor. An induction stove utilizes a coil carrying an alternating current (AC) to produce a changing magnetic field. This varying magnetic field induces eddy currents in the ferromagnetic base of the pot, which in turn heats the pot through resistive heating. The reason why a coil carrying a direct current (DC) will not work is that DC produces a constant magnetic field which does not change with time and, therefore, cannot induce the necessary eddy currents in the pot for it to heat up.