[Physics] Work done by Lorentz Force in case of motional emf

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In the classical example of the slidewire generator where the rod slides on a U-shaped conductor in a magnetic field, we get a charge separation due to the Lorentz force. The way the induced emf is usually derived is the following: $\mathcal{E}=W_l/q=vBL$ where $W_l$ is the work done by the magnetic (Lorentz) force. But we know that work is defined as a scalar product of force and displacement. In case of Lorentz force, which is always perpendicular to the velocity vector, the scalar product should always be zero. So why then we allowed to use the above expression?

It even confuses me more, because later on the book states:

The Joule heating produced in the slidewire generator is: $\Delta Q=R I_{induced}^2 \Delta t=\frac{(vBL)^2}{R} \Delta t$

….

But the Lorentz force does no work, so where does this energy come from? It turns out that there is another Lorentz force acting in the system due to the relative motion of the charges…

So, on the one hand it derives motional emf by assuming $F_l$ does work $W_l$ and on the other hand, it says later that it does no work (which can cause a confusion because heat is still being produced in the circuit).

What's going on here?

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Best Answer

There are two things that lead to your confusion:

1) the integral $\oint_C q(\mathbf v\times \mathbf B)\cdot d\mathbf s = vBl$ along the circuit $C$ is not $work$ of magnetic force; it is called electromotive force of the circuit (emf). This is because $\mathbf v$ in this expression is not the velocity of the charged particle, but that of the element of conductor. The charged particle moves in a more complicated way.

The work of magnetic force per unit charge per displacement $d\mathbf r$ would be $$ (\mathbf u\times \mathbf B)\cdot d\mathbf r $$ where $d\mathbf r$ is displacement of the charged particle and $\mathbf u$ is its velocity. Since $\mathbf u = \frac{d\mathbf r}{dt}$ is parallel to $d\mathbf r$, the above product vanishes and the magnetic force does not work on the charged particle.

2) if magnetic force does not work on the charges, then why there is current and evolution of heat in the conductor in the first place?

In macroscopic theory, the description of such situations where current is due to nonelectrostatic force (such as current in the battery, or due to thermal gradients, or due to magnetic field, as in the rod) is via general notion of electromotive intensity $\mathbf E^*$. This is not electric field, but has the same units and its meaning is that the total force acting on the macroscopic charge is

$$ q(\mathbf E + \mathbf E^*). $$

One can derive approximate condition for $\mathbf E^*$ for the case of perfect conductor; the total force acting on the charge has to be zero and

$$ \mathbf E^* = - \mathbf E. $$

Various circumstances lead to various expressions for $\mathbf E^*$ in terms of other measurable quantities, for example in the Seebeck effect $\mathbf E^* = -k \nabla T$. In the case of magnetic forces, experiments are well explained by assuming that

$$ \mathbf E^* = \mathbf v \times \mathbf B, $$ but explaining why this works from the point of view of observer in the laboratory frame seems hard. It would require going into some microscopic theory of conduction and taking into account both the velocity of the rod $\mathbf v$ and the velocities of the individual charge carriers $\mathbf u_i$.

However, the above choice for $\mathbf E^*$ is well explained by the theory of relativity, if we look into the conduction from the point of view of obsever on the rod. There the electric field is composed of two parts, the electric field due to charges of the rod $\mathbf E_0'$ which from the theory of relativity is almost equal to $\mathbf E$, and the electric field due to external bodies $\mathbf E'_{ext}$, which from the theory of relativity is approximately equal to $\mathbf v \times \mathbf B$. So the total electric field in the frame of the rod is approximately $\mathbf E' = \mathbf E + \mathbf v\times \mathbf B$ and putting $\mathbf E' = \mathbf 0$ for ideal conductor of the rod and using the Ohm law for the rest of the circuit (resistance $R$), we can derive the required current $vBl/R$ and can motivate why $\mathbf E^* = \mathbf v\times\mathbf B$ works in the original frame.