Create a Homopolar Motor

Have you watched Ġina learn about inventions of the past yet? Today you can join the team and experiment at home to rediscover the invention of the motor.

This invention, like many others, has shaped the world that we know and live in, and it has enabled us to reach further than ever before. It is now used in all sorts of devices from computers to door locks, and its design is still being adapted and changed to meet modern needs even though it was first engineered by Michael Faraday around 200 years ago!

The same scientific phenomenon that allows us to generate electricity by spinning a wheel or a turbine like Ġina and Ryan did, can be used in reverse to generate movement by using electricity.

An electric motor works thanks to electricity flowing through it, which creates an electromagnetic field. A copper coil is usually wound-up hundreds if not thousands of times and it’s then held around a magnet. The instant that electricity is passed through the coil, the electromagnetic field starts repelling the magnet, spinning it or the coil itself around, depending on the design – this results in rotational movement!

With some curiosity and a willingness to learn, you can make your own simple motor. All you need is:

• 20 cm of thick copper wire
• One neodymium magnet
• And one AA battery

You can follow along with Ryan by watching this video or by following the individual steps below:

1. First, you’ll need to strip the copper wire (with the help of a grown-up!)
2. Then you need to bend one strand of copper wire in the shape of a “J” so that you can balance it onto the battery like in the video
3. Attach the magnet to the underside of the AA batter and balance the battery upright
4. Place the copper wire on top of the positive side of the battery
5. As soon as the wire bridges the + side of the battery with the – side by touching the magnet while it balances on top, it should start to spin around on itself

Congratulations! You have just built your very own homopolar motor. Don’t leave it running for too long as this might damage the battery, but make sure to think about all sorts of uses for your motor. Who knows? Perhaps you could invent a new tool for Gina and Ryan to tinker with, or maybe even something that will have a positive impact on people, just like Michael Faraday did all those years ago.

Stay curious!