Chapter 27, Problem 80PP

Clever farmers with power lines crossing their land have been known to steal power by stringing wire near the power line and making use of the induced current. At least one such crime went to court and resulted in a conviction—despite the defense’s claim that the defendant didn’t touch the lines. Figure 27.42 shows a possible crime scene, with a rectangular wire loop mounted in a vertical plane beneath a power line. The power line carries a current of 10⁴ A, alternating sinusoidally at 60 Hz.

FIGURE 27.42 Crime scene for Passage Problems 80–83

If the loop were mounted in a horizontal rather than vertical plane at the same distance from the power line, the induced emf would

1. a. increase slightly.
2. b. decrease slightly.
3. c. remain the same.
4. d. become essentially zero.