| |
MISSION:
Electric motors are employed daily in many of our electronic devices.
Most people don't have a clue how one works or even how one is
constructed. Using only a battery, magnet, some wire, tape and
a couple paperclips you will construct a working electric motor!
The diagram and picture below shows how these pieces are assembled
to accomplish this small feat.
Procedure:
- Take about 60 centimeters of solid motor wire (insulated with
a thin plastic/shellac layer) and wrap it around your thumb
knuckle as many turns as you can leaving a few centimeters on
each end to create an axis to spin on.
- Wrap these axis ends a couple times around the loops for support
- Use sandpaper or a nail file to remove all the insulating
plastic layer off one end and only the top half of insulation
on the other end
- Bend the paper clips to support the loop ends and attach to
the battery ends with tape
- Tape the magnet to the battery between the loop and the battery
as shown
- Place the loop in the center of the paperclip cradle
- Give it a spin! (You may have to fine tune the alignment of
the pieces until it operates properly)
Explanation:
When the loop is positioned so that contact is made and battery
current flows through both wire ends, a magnetic field is created
in the loop that will either attract or repulse the magnet. As the
loop moves the half insulated axis eventually cuts off the current
and the magnetic field in the loop collapses. Since it doesn't repel
or attract now it just continues to spin for a bit more until it
is in position once again to receive current and perpetuate the
cycle.
Conclusion:
Show the instructor
your completed working motor for a grade.
|
|
