Coils and cash: what coil vendors don't want you to know

A solenoid is a conducting wire coated with an insulating material, wound tightly in the form of a helical coil. The magnetic field for a solenoid is the vector sum of the magnetic field due to its individual turns. For an ideal solenoid, the magnetic field inside is almost uniform and parallel to the solenoid axis, while the magnetic field outside the solenoid is nearly zero.
Each turn in a solenoid can be approximated as a circular current carrying coil that generates a dipole moment. The...

An inductor, also known as a choke, is a circuit component created to have a specific inductance. Inductors are among the crucial circuit components used in modern electronics, along with resistors and capacitors. They serve as a barrier against changes in a circuit's current. An inductor tends to suppress current changes in an alternating-current circuit that are faster than desired. In a direct-current circuit, an inductor aids in preserving a constant current despite changes in the applied...

An inductor is a passive component built to store energy within its magnetic field. It can be fabricated by coiling a wire around a magnetic core. When current is permitted to flow through this inductor, it is observed that the voltage across the inductor is directly proportional to the time rate of change of the current. Mathematically,

A coaxial cable consists of a central copper conductor used for transmitting signals, followed by an insulator shield, a metallic braided mesh that prevents signal interference, and a plastic layer that encases the entire assembly.
In the simplest form, a coaxial cable can be represented by two long hollow concentric cylinders in which the current flows in opposite directions. The magnetic field inside and outside the coaxial cable is determined by using Ampère's law. The magnetic field inside...

Since eddy currents occur only in conductors, magnets can separate metals from other materials. For example, in a recycling center, trash is dumped in batches down a ramp, beneath which lies a powerful magnet. Conductors in the trash are slowed by eddy currents, while nonmetals in the trash move on, separating from the metals. This works for all metals, not just ferromagnetic ones.
Other major applications of eddy currents appear in metal detectors and the braking systems of trains and roller...

The Earth is a good conductor of electricity, and it is so big that it can be considered an infinite source or sink of charges. It can easily exchange charges with any matter.
Generally, conductors like metals do not allow any excess charge to be present on them. Any excess charge added to metals easily flows away, for example, when a metal is placed on the Earth. This process is called earthing.
However, conductors can be charged by a process called induction. For example, consider charging a...