Question about DIY Mini Propeller Car activity

[jmcandrews]

Type your question below and then press Submit!

Hello,
Will the clockwise motors and propellers work as well?
Thank you,
Jen



-------------------------------------
Leave this to help the Experts:
The activity can be viewed at: DIY Mini Propeller Car

[LeirD]

Hi!

This looks like a fun experiment! As long as your motor spins clockwise, a clockwise propeller should work. You can test this by attaching the propeller to the motor and then powering the motor and watching the direction that the propeller spins. If the propeller spins clockwise, you're in luck -- the motor's direction matches your propeller. If the propeller spins in the wrong direction, then you could try to find either another motor, or another propeller that would fix the problem.

Hope this helps!

[amyCC]

The directions for this activity call specifically for counterclockwise propellers.

This is explained in the information at the bottom of the activity, the "Digging Deeper" section:

When the propeller spins, it pushes air backward. According to Newton's third law of motion, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The resulting reaction force pushes the car forward. If you were to use one of the clockwise propellers from your kit instead of a counterclockwise propeller, or if you reversed the connections of the motor/battery pack wires, then the propeller would push air forward, making the car go backward instead.

Given that note, if you are using a clockwise propeller AND you reverse the wires, you should be able to have the car go forwards.

Amy
Science Buddies

[petergoff]

Hi Jen,
Yes, clockwise (CW) motors and propellers will work, but you need to make sure that each motor is paired with the correct propeller type. Typically, drones have both clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) motors, and the propellers are designed to match the rotation direction. Using the wrong propeller on a motor can reduce lift or cause instability.
So as long as CW motors have CW propellers, everything should work fine!