Motors

In a nutshell, a motor consists of a current carrying wire and a magnet. For the motor we build in class, we attached bent paperclips to the poles of a battery. We fixed a loop in the middle of the copper wire, and it rested on the paperclips.

When a current runs through the wire, a force is felt from the magnetic field, which causes a torque and then causes the motor to run. The reason a torque occurs is because the charges are perpendicular to the magnetic field. If they were parallel, there would be no force, no torque, and therefore no operating motor.

This is why we scraped the wire on the top section (longwise facing the ceiling), so the charges would be perpendicular to the magnetic field and cause a torque.

Even the most complicated motors start with this simple model involving the magnet and wire. Motors can be used to power drills, cranks, or any object that requires rotation.