Plaque à induction
An induction hob heats the pan but not the hob surface, which surprises most people the first time they meet one. This simulation shows the coil beneath the glass, the alternating field passing through it, and the eddy currents generated in the pan base doing the cooking.
Comment utiliser cette simulation
- Adjust the power level and driving frequency
- Swap between steel, aluminium and glass cookware
- Lift the pan off the hob mid-simulation
Ce qu’il faut observer
- Only the ferromagnetic pan heats significantly
- The hob surface warms only by conduction from the pan above it
- Removing the pan cuts the induced current, and heating stops almost immediately
La physique derrière
Alternating current in the coil creates a changing magnetic field that induces eddy currents in the ferromagnetic pan base, which dissipate energy as I²R heating. The glass top and non-magnetic cookware such as aluminium or glass carry little induced current, so they stay comparatively cool. This is why induction hobs only work with steel or cast-iron pans.