152 CHAPTER 7.

THE MAXWELL EQUATIONS

d F given by
dl
d F = dq- x B ,
dt
so that
dF dl
-= - x B .
dq dt
Identifying the forces of Eqs. (7.1) and (7.2) in order to arrive at an expla-
nation of Faraday’s observation, we obtain
dl
dqE =-x dqB, (7.3)
dt
i.e.

- d s x dl

Fig. 7.1 (a), (b) The moving current loop.

dl
Ez-xB,
dt
provided the right side (or one component) is parallel to E . This means, the
electric force acting on the charge dq is equal to the force which the field B
exerts on the charge dq moving with velocity v. Put differently: The right
side of Eq. (7.3), i.e. the force that B exerts on dq, induces the electric
force E d q , i.e. the Lorentz-force, acts on the electrons in the conductor, and
hence a current in the conductor is observed, and so a potential difference
or induced voltage. We assume this here as an empirical finding.*
We let C1 be the initial position of the conducting loop and Cz = Cl +
SC1 its position a time interval S t later (as indicated in Fig. 7.1(b)). SC1

*The induced voltage or potential difference V is also called induced electromotive force. V has
the dimension of energy. The term “foTce” has a historical origin; in the 18th century, as also at
the beginning of the 19th century, various quantities which today represent energy were described
as “force”, e.g. also in writings of Kant.