Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

For my science project I am trying to create a simple motor using neodymium magnets, copper wire, a battery, and a screwdriver like the one on this website:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... k&from=TSW
I will use a tachometer to determind the rate of rotation but when I put the motor together and connect it, it doesn't spin. How do I connect the wire to the magnets and produce a spinning effect?

Hi,

The project writeup has a pictutr and clearly describes how to connect the wore for the motor. If the motor does not spin when you carefully follow the directions I would suspect one of the following causes:
1. The battery is worn out. Replace it with a brand new one.

2. The wire is not making contact with the screwdriver or magnet. There may be insulation on the wire where you have wrapped it around the screwdriver preventing current flow(scrape the wire with a knife to get a shiny metal surface on both screwdriver and wire where they should make contact0.

3 Be sure the motor turns freely before you touch the wire to the magnet stack to complete the circuit.

It should not be difficult to make this motor work.

Good luck,

Barrett L Tomlinson

Thank you for the help I realized I was doing it wrong when I saw that the wire wasn't in contact with the wire. Again thank you for your help.