ELECTRICAL ENERGY

LAB: BUILDING AN ELECTRIC MOTOR

ELECTRIC TROLLEY CARS, FOOD BLENDERS, GARAGE DOOR OPENERS, AND COMPUTER DISK DRIVES ARE ONLY SOME OF THE EVERYDAY DEVICES THAT HAVE ELECTRIC MOTORS. HOW DOES AN ELECTRIC MOTOR OPERATE?

Materials:

• Pliers

• Sandpaper

• D-cell

• 2 insulated wires

• enamel-coated wire, approximately 15 inches

• Magnet

• 2 Paper clips

• Duct tape

• Pen/pencil

Procedure:

1. First, find the middle of the wire and place it in the middle of the pen, roll both sides of the wire onto the pen until there’s 2-3 inches left on each side. Take the wire off the pen.

2. Use the sandpaper to scrape off the enamel off the both sides of the wire.

   1. TIP: one sides, scrape all of it….other side, scrap half off

3. Unroll the paperclips to make it as a holder for the wire. Tape the ends of the paper clips onto the talke.

4. Connect the insulated wires from the paper clips to the battery. Tape the wires onto the battery.

5. “Hook” on the enamel-coated wire onto the paper clips and add the magnet underneath it.

6. Give the coil a gentle push to start it turning. If it doesn’t spin check the following:

   1. Are the paper clips in good contact with the D-cell?

   2. Will the coil spin in the opposite direction?

   3. Will the coil work on someone else’s apparatus?