Lenz’s law: According to this law “the direction of induced current in a closed circuit is always such as to oppose the cause that produces it.”
Example: When the north pole of a coil is brought near a closed coil, the direction of current induced in the coil is such as to oppose the approach of North Pole. For this the nearer face of coil behaves as North Pole. This necessitates an anticlockwise current in the coil, when seen from the magnet side [fig. (a)]
Similarly when North Pole of the magnet is moved away from the coil, the direction of current in the coil will be such as to attract the magnet. For this the nearer face of coil behaves as South Pole. This necessitates a clockwise current in the coil, when seen from the magnet side [fig. (b)].
Conservation of Energy in Lenz’s Law: Thus, in each case whenever there is a relative motion between a coil and the magnet, a force begins to act which opposes the relative motion. Therefore to maintain the relative motion, a mechanical work must be done. This work appears in the form of electric energy of coil. Thus Lenz’s law is based on principle of conservation of energy.
