Faraday's law of induction can be used in any situation where the magnetic flux is changing through a closed conducting loop. While giving the correct answer, it seems to me that for the following scenarios different things are happening.
1) Let's consider a closed loop that is standing still in my reference frame. When changing the magnetic field through this loop from Maxwell 3, $\vec{\nabla} \times \vec{E} = -\frac{\partial \vec B}{\partial t}$, it is easy to find that Faraday's induction law is correct here using Stokes theorem. Physically, electric field lines are created inside the loop and push the electrons to move, this creates the current. The emf is then just the electric potential.
2) Let's place ourselves at rest relative to the magnet and change the area of the loop. $\frac{\partial \vec B}{\partial t}=0$ at any point in space so no $\vec{E}$ is created due to the field. This means that Maxwell 3 can't be really used in this frame. In this case the magnetic Lorentz force $F=q\vec{v} \times \vec{B}$ can be used to explain the movement of the electrons. For simple cases like these it seems to me that I have been succesful in deriving Faraday's induction law.
3) Finally I'd like to add that there is a thing called the disc of Faraday (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homopolar_generator) where no flux is changing but an emf is induced by the Lorentz force.
To conclude: I have a very basic understanding of special relativity and feel what is coming. I have to ask you to not go too deep into that for the following reason: I am studying for my classical electromagnetism final and need to have an efficient knowledge of the connections between laws from a classical point of view. Here come my two questions:
- Is everything I said about the described scenarios correct?
- What is the most efficient way to place this in my head in a classical way? Should I just consider Maxwell 3 and the Lorentz force being different phenomena that in problems where the flux is changing happen to lead to the same result, namely Faraday's induction?