Re: Thermodynamics and Lenz's Law

[Robert A Cohen <bbq@ESU.EDU>]

On Mon, 12 Mar 2001, Chuck Britton wrote:

> At 1:44 PM -0600 3/11/01, Doug Craigen,  you wrote about Re:
> Thermodynamics and Lenz's Law:
> > [snip]
> > Lenz's Law has nothing to do with the configuration being any kind of
> > equilibrium state.
> [snip]
>
> Lenz's Law applies to the equilibrium of maintaining a CONSTANT
> magnetic flux through the loop.
>                 (Sounds like LaChatlier & [stable] equilibrium to ME!)

I tend to think of this more as a "status quo" law, sort of like the way
nature tends to maintain the spin or momentum of objects.  To me,
"equilibrium" implies that there is balance of sources and sinks.

----------------------------------------------------------
| Robert Cohen               Department of Physics       |
|                            East Stroudsburg University |
| bbq@esu.edu                East Stroudsburg, PA  18301 |
| http://www.esu.edu/~bbq/   (570) 422-3428              |
----------------------------------------------------------