left hand rule

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FWIW, I was taught it in secondary school physics as Fleming′s Left Hand Rule for motors. There is also a Right Hand rule for generators.
 
Besoeker said:
FWIW, I was taught it in secondary school physics as Fleming′s Left Hand Rule for motors. There is also a Right Hand rule for generators.
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Learned RHR for both, thumb is the input, pointer finger is the feild, and middle finger is the output.

Input and output are opposite for motors and generators (Current flow (Holes) and relitive motion)
 
Smart $ said:
It amazes me that principles of electric are still referred to as theory.
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I suppose for many, it maybe differentiates the theoretical from the practical.
But, it's a branch of science and, in general, things in science are not proven with absolute certainty thus remain theory.
Newton's theory of gravitation is an example.
 
Besoeker said:
FWIW, I was taught it in secondary school physics as Fleming′s Left Hand Rule for motors. There is also a Right Hand rule for generators.
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My text did not reveal the source of the rule but a search revealed Fleming using "The Hand Rule" at the end of the 17th century (using the right hand). So the rule is very old. Fleming was British of course, so kudos to your countryman. The left hand rule must have come later.

An additional memory tip to the ones I posted before is the "I" in mIddle finger reminding the user it represents the Induced electromotive force (that was not in my book as it used the "3rd" finger).
 
zog said:
Why is that? Do you know what current flow really is?
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Its not what I know... because at an earlier time in my life I knew nothing about electricity. Now I know a fair amount. Yet I also know I will never have a full understanding. That isn't because the knowledge is not yet available. Rather the knowledge is expansive, it would take a ultra genious to be all knowing on the subject. So it comes down to what mankind knows of it. I'd say that is well beyond the theory stage of understanding in that, for example, current flow in part permits you and others to read these words that I type. If the science can be put to practical use I say it is no longer theory. Sure the definition of the word "theory" permits its usage as such, yet my paradigm does not.
 
Houston said:
What is the left hand Rule?
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LOL oh man that was great after all the discussion...

Welcome to the forum btw.

Anyway, as far as the discussion, I had to learn it in college because teacher after teacher referred to the left and right hand rules and they never bothered explaining them. It's not a very hard concept though, if you've already passed electromagnetism, maxwell eqs and differentials its just to tool to easily remember/apply what you already know.
 
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