DC Motors

Electromagnets are useful in motors. Placing an electromagnet within a permanent magnet can create a simple motor. The components needed to make a DC (Direct Current) motor are:

  • Two split rings
  • A coil of wire
  • An axle
  • Two bar magnets

When these components are assembled, they form a simple DC motor, as shown in the image below.

When DC current flows through a wire placed in a magnetic field, the wire will move. This is known as the motor effect.

1. Turn on the electromagnet – It’s connected to a cell, which will cause an electric current to flow through it.

2. Activating the electromagnet generates a magnetic field around the wire.

3. The magnetic field generated by the wire interacts with the magnetic field of the permanent magnet.

4. This interaction between magnetic fields causes the coil of wire to rotate.

To increase the speed of the motor, you can:

  • Increase the current flowing through the coil
  • Increase the magnetic field strength

The spinning motion produced by the motor can be transferred to other devices, which can make them move. This versatility is what makes motors useful.