A coil of wire with an electric current produces a magnetic field. The coil then acts like a small magnet. When the coil is near a stronger magnet, the coil will move to align with the stronger magnet due to the magnetic force of the stronger magnet. In a motor, the current in the coil switches direction over and over again, so the coil keeps spinning as it tries to align with the magnetic field. In this experiment you will build a simple electric motor.
Use the wire strippers to remove the insulation from the two ends of the coil.
The coil may not continue to turn, because the current continues to flow through the coil its magnetic fields stays aligned with the magnets. To get the coil to continue rotating, the current should be turned off when the coil is aligned with the magnets. This can be done by coating part of one of the bare wire ends of the coil.Troubleshoot the motor if it does not keep spinning on its own:
This very simple motor is related to the motors you have attached to your Sea Perch. If you opened a motor up you would find coils of wire and magnets. When the wires are connected to a power supply the motor would spin.
Take the motor you have built in the experiment and turn your battery around. This runs the current in the opposite direction through the loops of wire. What happens to the direction in which the loop spins? You will want to put your motors in reverse at times. Later you will learn how to build a circuit where you can change the direction of the current.
For a very simple introduction to what Oersted observed about the relationship between electric fields and magnetic fields, place a compass close to a wire. Connect the wire to a power supply and see that the compass needle is deflected. Change the position of the compass. Notice it is deflected in a different direction.
This resource is a part of the Engineering & Robotics lesson series.
This resource is a part of the Engineering & Robotics lesson series.
