Homemade Magnetic Motors
A magnetic motor is a means of turning electric current into motion using a magnet. Magnetic and electric forces are closely connected. When electricity is made to flow through a coil of wire, it generates a magnetic field. This field pushes against the field of the magnet inside the motor, causing the coil to turn, which, in turn, turns the motor's axle.
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Things You'll Need
- 3 feet of solid core insulated copper wire
- Broomstick
- Electrical tape
- Wire strippers
- Permanent marker
- 2 paperclips
- Plastic cup
- Ceramic disc magnet
- 2 1-foot wires
- 2 alligator clips
- D battery
Instructions
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1
Wind the wire around the broomstick to create a coil approximately 1 inch in diameter. Leave a couple inches of wire sticking off either side of the coil. Bend these free ends so that they stick straight out of the coil's sides. These will form the motor's axle. Tape the coil together so that it doesn't unravel, using the electrical tape.
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2
Remove about an inch of insulation from each of the free ends of the coil's wire, using the wire strippers. Holding the coil upright before you, darken the tops of the exposed metal ends of the wire with the marker. The ink from the marker interferes with the electrical conductivity of that part of the wire. This helps keep it from getting hung up when the coil is lined up with the field of the motor's magnet.
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3
Straighten the first bend out of both paperclips. Tape the long straight ends of the paperclips to the bottom of the cup, so that the hooked ends stick up above the cup when it is upside down.
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4
Place the magnet between the paperclips, on the bottom of the upside down cup. Place the axle of the coil in the paperclip hooks, so that the coil hangs above the magnet. It is important that the coil has room to turn freely above the magnet. If it does not, remove the paperclips from the cup and reposition them higher up.
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5
Remove an inch of insulation from each end of each of the short wires, with the wire strippers. Attach the alligator clips to one end of each of these wires. Clip the wires to the paperclips.
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6
Tape the other ends of the wires to the positive and negative terminals of the D battery. The coil of wire will now start to spin.
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1
Tips & Warnings
This motor will tend to drain batteries quickly.
