How to Make an Engine from a Battery, Wire and a Magnet
Gather your materials., Put the magnet on the screw., Attach the screw to one end of the battery., Place the copper wire on the battery., Complete the motor.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather your materials.
You don't need any special tools to make a homopolar motor.
All you need is a battery, a length of copper wire, and a neodymium magnet.You can use any kind of alkaline battery, but a larger battery, such as a C-cell, will be easier to hold.Get a few inches of copper wire.
You can use bare wire or insulated wire.
If you choose to use insulated wire, strip some of the insulation off at each end.
You can find copper wire online, or at most hardware stores.Any neodymium magnet should do the trick for this experiment, but search for one with a conductive plating.
You can buy nickel plated neodymium magnets of varying sizes online.You will also need one drywall screw.
The screw will let you see the motor in action.
Once you've successfully constructed the motor, the screw will spin. -
Step 2: Put the magnet on the screw.
Take the neodymium magnet and attach it the head of the drywall screw., You can put the tip of the screw on either side of the battery.
The side you choose will determine which direction your motor will spin.The single point of contact between the tip of the screw and the battery serves as a low-friction bearing.
A heavier magnet will decrease the amount of friction between these two points., Take your copper wire and hold it to the other end of the battery.
For example, if you placed your screw on the button end of the battery, hold the copper wire to the flat end., Gently place the free end of the copper wire to the side of the magnet.
The magnet and the screw should start to spin.When you place the copper wire to the side of the magnet, you complete the circuit between the battery terminals.
The current flows from one end of the battery, down the screw, and into the magnet.
By touching the wire to the side of the magnet, you allow the current to keep flowing through the wire, and into the other end of the battery.A homopolar motor is capable of continuous rotation without the need to reverse the direction of the current.It does not take long for the screw to start spinning at high speeds.
Both the screw and magnet could easily fly off the battery.
Exercise caution when working with magnets and electricity.It is possible for the wire to get warm when conducting this experiment.
Don't hold the wire to the magnet for extended periods of time. -
Step 3: Attach the screw to one end of the battery.
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Step 4: Place the copper wire on the battery.
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Step 5: Complete the motor.
Detailed Guide
You don't need any special tools to make a homopolar motor.
All you need is a battery, a length of copper wire, and a neodymium magnet.You can use any kind of alkaline battery, but a larger battery, such as a C-cell, will be easier to hold.Get a few inches of copper wire.
You can use bare wire or insulated wire.
If you choose to use insulated wire, strip some of the insulation off at each end.
You can find copper wire online, or at most hardware stores.Any neodymium magnet should do the trick for this experiment, but search for one with a conductive plating.
You can buy nickel plated neodymium magnets of varying sizes online.You will also need one drywall screw.
The screw will let you see the motor in action.
Once you've successfully constructed the motor, the screw will spin.
Take the neodymium magnet and attach it the head of the drywall screw., You can put the tip of the screw on either side of the battery.
The side you choose will determine which direction your motor will spin.The single point of contact between the tip of the screw and the battery serves as a low-friction bearing.
A heavier magnet will decrease the amount of friction between these two points., Take your copper wire and hold it to the other end of the battery.
For example, if you placed your screw on the button end of the battery, hold the copper wire to the flat end., Gently place the free end of the copper wire to the side of the magnet.
The magnet and the screw should start to spin.When you place the copper wire to the side of the magnet, you complete the circuit between the battery terminals.
The current flows from one end of the battery, down the screw, and into the magnet.
By touching the wire to the side of the magnet, you allow the current to keep flowing through the wire, and into the other end of the battery.A homopolar motor is capable of continuous rotation without the need to reverse the direction of the current.It does not take long for the screw to start spinning at high speeds.
Both the screw and magnet could easily fly off the battery.
Exercise caution when working with magnets and electricity.It is possible for the wire to get warm when conducting this experiment.
Don't hold the wire to the magnet for extended periods of time.
About the Author
Elizabeth Graham
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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