An electric motor stripped to its essentials is a device a magnetic field causes to rotate. All the other bits are purely mechanical. We came across a fellow who claims to have invented the simplest electric motor. We are not sure about his claim. There is always going to be a better way to make the best simple electric motor ever.
The Bits You Need to Make a Very Simple Electric Motor
Wendell Okay’s simple electric motor comprises a 1.5 volt alkaline battery, a drywall screw, a small neodymium disc battery, and a six-inch length of plain copper wire.
The neodymium angle threw us a bit until we realized these batteries are in common use in hobbies, because they pack a powerful punch.
Now Let Us Build a Simple Electric Motor!
Our battery is going to be a ‘homopolar’ one, because it uses direct current and has two magnetic poles.
Setting science aside, we find a way to clamp the battery in free space, with the positive terminal pointing down.
Next, we attach the neodymium disc battery to the head of the drywall screw. Then we touch the tip of the screw to the positive terminal of the battery, and it hangs there.
Why is that? It’s because the force of electromagnetism is running through the screw. Finally, we press one end of the copper wire to the negative terminal of the battery at the top. Then we lightly touch the other end of the wire to the magnet. Voila, we did it! We have a simple electric motor, and oh boy, watch it spin!
The neodymium disc battery is flat, and so hence its magnetic field orients through its flat surfaces. As we touch the wire to it, electricity flows down the screw, sideways through the magnet, and via the wire to the battery negative terminal. As it does its work, the screw begins to spin. And we have a simple electric motor to show our friends. How neat is that.
Related
The Faraday Motor: The Electric Magnetic Rotation Apparatus
Preview Image: Close-Up of Screws
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/w2f6RD1hT6Q
