Homopolar Motor (Funky Physics Experiments)

You will need:

1. Permanent rare earth
   magnets (known as
   neodymium disc magnets)
2. AAA battery
3. Copper wire without
   outer coating

Create a functional motor at home, using three simple materials. The design of your motor doesn’t have to be simple though. You can get creative with the designs.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take your AAA battery and attach the small neodymium disc magnet at the bottom (i.e. to the negative side of the battery).
2. Next, take the copper wire and bend it in the shape of a heart with the open ends touching at the bottom of the heart.
3. Bend the wires and allow them to touch the magnet at the bottom, while the dip in the shape of the heart touches the positive end of the battery.

RESULT

Once the copper wire has connected with the positive and negative ends of the battery, it creates a complete circuit, which results in the flow of electrons through the copper wire. The magnet at the bottom of the battery creates a magnetic field, which results in the Lorentz force. This force causes the wire to spin in a circle around the magnet and the battery. This experiment can be tried with various shapes of the copper wire.