Faraday's Law & Generator Lab
Move a magnet through a coil to light a bulb, or spin the generator and watch the induced voltage.
Drag the magnet through the coil, or turn on the generator and spin the magnet. Moving a magnet through a coil makes a current and lights the bulb.
About the Faraday's Law & Generator Lab
Free faraday's law & generator lab. Move a magnet through a coil to light a bulb, or spin the generator and watch the induced voltage. Drag, change the sliders and see the result live. No sign-up, works on phone and computer. Built for physics, the faraday's law & generator lab runs instantly in your browser: change a setting or drag an object and the result updates at once, so you learn by trying things out rather than only reading about them.
Move a magnet through a coil to light a bulb, or spin the generator and watch the induced voltage. Use it to explore physics ideas at your own pace, then check what you found against the key ideas further down this page.
How to use the Faraday's Law & Generator Lab
- Use the controls to change Coil turns, Magnet strength, Generator speed. The simulation reacts instantly.
- Pick an option such as Drag the magnet, Spin generator to switch modes or load an example.
- Press "Reset" to start, reset or change what is happening.
- Where you see a glowing handle, object, weight or atom, drag it with your mouse or finger. Everything responds in real time.
- Watch the readouts and graphs update as you experiment, and compare what you see with the key ideas below.
Things to try
- Drag the magnet slowly, then quickly.
- Use 8 turns.
- Switch to Spin generator and watch the AC graph.
Key ideas you can learn
- A changing magnetic field through a coil induces a voltage.
- Faster motion or a stronger magnet gives more voltage.
- More turns give more voltage.
- The voltage reverses when the magnet reverses direction.
Where this is used in the real world
Power stations, bicycle dynamos, wind turbines and wireless charging all use Faraday's law.
Who is this simulation for?
Physics students in middle school, high school and first-year university, teachers who want a quick demonstration for the projector, and anyone revising for exams. It works well for flipped classrooms because students can explore before the lesson.
For teachers: project it on the board, let students predict what will happen, then run it together. For students: change one thing at a time and write down what changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is electromagnetic induction?
Producing a voltage in a conductor by changing the magnetic flux through it.
How does a generator work?
It moves magnets and coils relative to each other so the flux keeps changing and produces alternating current.
Is the Faraday's Law & Generator Lab free to use?
Yes. It is completely free, with no signup, no download and no ads inside the simulation. It runs in your web browser.
Does the Faraday's Law & Generator Lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. It uses touch as well as the mouse, so you can drag objects with your finger. A larger screen makes the controls easier to see.