Electromotive Force: A Guide for the Perplexed

The concept of electromotive force (emf) may be introduced in various ways in an undergraduate course of theoretical electromagnetism. The multitude of alternate expressions for the emf is often the source of confusion to the student. We summarize the main ideas, adopting a pedagogical logic that proceeds from the general to the specific. The emf of a "circuit" is first defined in the most general terms. The expressions for the emf of some familiar electrodynamical systems are then derived in a rather straightforward manner. A diversity of physical situations is thus unified within a common theoretical framework.