Chapter 25, Problem 56A

To determine

To Explain:The way a train is able to levitate above the rails as long as it is moving.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

In magnetism, opposite poles attract and like poles repel. Electromagnets are a type of magnets in which magnetic field is produced when current flows through the wire wound up as a coil. Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction states that if a conductor is kept in a changing magnetic field, an EMF is induced which leads to flow of current called induced current.

The train is able to levitate because the electromagnets in the train create magnetic field. This magnetic field induces current in the wound up coils in the rails or guideway, which generates another magnetic field. The magnetic fields by the electromagnets in the train and the coils in the rails produce a repulsive force due to which the train levitates.

Conclusion:

The magnetic fields by the electromagnets in the train and the coils in the rails produce a repulsive force due to which the train levitates.