Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Posted on behalf of parent. Project: Spin Right 'Round with this Simple Electric Motor https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p051.shtml

• How do the axle supports connect to the battery holder
• What do we do with the black and red wires on the battery holder
• Does the magnet sit on top of the betters or top of the battery holder
• What keeps coil wire from not hitting the loop on axle support

amy - Here are some ideas about the questions asked.

Because there may be differences between battery holders you may use, how the axles are supported may require some experimentation if you choose to use the battery case as a base. The axle supports must be fairly rigid to support the coil/axle assembly. I prefer to use two paper clips bent in such a way that they will support the ends of coil (axles). The paper clips can be mounted to a small wooden base with thumb tacks. The red and black wires from the battery pack are individually attached to the two axle supports (the paper clips). It doesn't matter which is which at this time, but you can experiment later and see that by reversing the wires, the motor will rotate in the opposite direction.

The coil may in fact shift from side to side in the supports, possibly even touching the support wires, but that shouldn't be a factor in how the motor runs.

Here is a link to a YouTube video that shows a version of the motor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T5Nfi6N96Q

Rick Marz

Hello!

Since your questions are mainly concerned with the setup of the motor, you might find this image helpful: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... _setup.pdf. It shows the black and red wires, as well as the magnets, with their location relative to the battery holder.

There's also this diagram from the project page, posted for your convenience:


At each end of the battery holder, apparently there should be holes, so twist the legs of the axle supports into these holes.

For your last question, I'm assuming you mean to ask what keeps the coiled wire from shifting left and right on the axle? I believe that'll take some tightening and adjustments on your part, so that the axle supports are near, but not touching, the temporary magnet.

If you have further questions about any aspect of the project, feel free to ask! There are also informative FAQ pages, if you haven't already seen them before: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... =59&t=8920 and https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... shtml#help.

Good luck and have fun with this project!