I am in the process of watching Professor Walter Lewin’s MIT lectures on Electricity and Magnetism. In Lecture 20, during the first fifteen minutes, Prof. Lewin criticized many textbook authors for misapplying Kirchhoff’s rule when analyzing LR circuits, and clarified that Faraday’s Law should be used instead. My study partner insisted that Prof. Lewin was wrong, and that Kirchhoff’s rule applied in this case because the inductance came from within the circuit itself.
I would really appreciate it if anyone here could help me understand (with linked sources if necessary) whether Kirchhoff’s rule is applicable here. If not, why? Can you explain it in a way that would make my study partner understand it?
Dr. Lewin’s technically correct (which is the best kind of correct), but I doubt it much matters. Did you look at the lecture supplement? He gives a lot more detail there.
I’d like to solicit the help of physicists here.
I am in the process of watching Professor Walter Lewin’s MIT lectures on Electricity and Magnetism. In Lecture 20, during the first fifteen minutes, Prof. Lewin criticized many textbook authors for misapplying Kirchhoff’s rule when analyzing LR circuits, and clarified that Faraday’s Law should be used instead. My study partner insisted that Prof. Lewin was wrong, and that Kirchhoff’s rule applied in this case because the inductance came from within the circuit itself.
I would really appreciate it if anyone here could help me understand (with linked sources if necessary) whether Kirchhoff’s rule is applicable here. If not, why? Can you explain it in a way that would make my study partner understand it?
Thank you in advance for all your help!
Dr. Lewin’s technically correct (which is the best kind of correct), but I doubt it much matters. Did you look at the lecture supplement? He gives a lot more detail there.
I have, but my study partner insists that Prof. Lewin is wrong, and I don’t know how to explain it in a way that would make it understandable to him.