Electric Motor, Building an Electric Motor, Magnetic Field Near a Current Carrying Wire, Magnetic Fields from Different Wiring Arrangements

Electric Motor

Answers to Electric Motor Worksheet

Answers to Electric Motor Worksheet

Answers to Electric Motor Worksheet

Stint Louis Style Motor

(example of the motor used to answer questions in worksheet above)

Motor without split ring communicator

There are two coils of wire that when connected to a voltage source make a magnetic field. The motor will continue to spin until the magnet is lined up with the magnetic field.  In order to keep the motor spinning you must alternate the magnetic field or the current. 

Building an Electric Motor

Using copper wire spun into a circle, paper clips, magnets, and a voltage source, an electric motor was created.  We sanded down 180 degrees on one side of the copper wire and sanded down 360 degrees around the other side of the copper wire.  We did this so we could get an alternating current in our wire and therefore keep the motor spinning. 

Magnetic Field Near a Current Carrying Wire

When you place numerous compos's around a current carrying wire it can be seen that the electric field goes in a circle.  This gives us another right hand rule.  Your thumb is the current and your fingers are the magnetic field and the magnetic field either points in clockwise or counter clockwise

Magnetic Field going Clockwise

Magnetic Field going Counterclockwise

Magnetic Fields from Different Wiring Arrangements

We were to find the magnetic fields at the different marked spots.  It can be seen that when currents are going opposite ways, the magnetic fields cancel out which is why when you're wrapping wire for a motor you shouldn't cross your wires.  When the currents are going the same way then the magnetic field is twice as big because there is twice the current.