What is doing the work in the motor effect?

  • Thread starter infomike
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Motor Work
In summary: Why can't the energy be coming from within the machine?Yes. It just gets to a 'chicken and egg' argument with. possibly, the Big Bang at the start of it all. You are always allowed to have a black box somewhere with "Energy Source" written on it. Why can't the energy be coming from within the machine?There has to be something coming from outside to generate the electric potential energy that powers the machine.
  • #1
infomike
44
0
When electrons move through an armature, the magnetic field produced by the current interacts with the magnetic field it's moving through. This interaction causes a repulsion which produces the spinning of the armature in a motor.

Would someone please explain what is doing the work in producing the force that is exerted on the armature? Magnetic field? Electric field?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
The electrons traveling thru the wire are attempting to move to a lower energy state and thus are doing the work.
 
  • #3
The work is done back at the power plant, pushing the electrons through the circuit.
 
  • #4
There must be something more to this. If electrical energy is transferred to mechanical energy as in the motor effect, wouldn't some work have to be done in this process?
 
  • #5
infomike said:
There must be something more to this. If electrical energy is transferred to mechanical energy as in the motor effect, wouldn't some work have to be done in this process?

Perhaps If you think of it in terms of a stream and a water wheel. What is causing the water wheel to turn? The water, right. Why? Because the water is flowing from a higher potential to a lower potential and pushes the water wheel causing it to rotate. The electrons are doing the same thing only it involved electromagnetic forces.

If you reversed the process and used the motor as a generator then it would push the electrons back to the battery doing work to raise the electrons potential.
 
  • #6
Okay...so from what I read here and other places, I will summarize:

1. Power plant supplies the work creating the electric potential energy.
2. Current flows into motor, which is electric kinetic energy.
3. Electrons flowing through a magnetic field cause a magnetic field interaction which converts the potential energy of the fields into the mechanical energy of the armature. Work is being done here also.

Sound right to everyone?
 
  • #7
infomike said:
Okay...so from what I read here and other places, I will summarize:

1. Power plant supplies the work creating the electric potential energy.
2. Current flows into motor, which is electric kinetic energy.
3. Electrons flowing through a magnetic field cause a magnetic field interaction which converts the potential energy of the fields into the mechanical energy of the armature. Work is being done here also.

Sound right to everyone?

Yes, but if you want to get picky, #1 is problematic in that you could go back to the water in a hydroelectric dam that creates the power from gravity. In other words, depending on how precise you want to be, you have to say what ACTUALLY supplies the power IN the power plant.
 
  • #8
An ideal motor would be 100% efficient. All the energy going in would be converted to mechanical energy. You can buy brushless motors that are >95% efficient.

The remaining losses are typically due to the residual winding resistance, eddy currents, bearing friction and air drag on the rotor.
 
  • #9
phinds said:
Yes, but if you want to get picky, #1 is problematic in that you could go back to the water in a hydroelectric dam that creates the power from gravity. In other words, depending on how precise you want to be, you have to say what ACTUALLY supplies the power IN the power plant.

Why does it have to be at the power plant? This type of reasoning will lead you back to the formation of the sun and the universe... IMO this is no way to answer the question. When we say that a rock gains energy as it falls we say that the gravitational field does the work on the rock, because it is that which is supplying the force along the direction. We do not say that the seismic event that raised the rock up there millions of years ago did the work.
 
  • #10
ModusPwnd said:
Why does it have to be at the power plant? This type of reasoning will lead you back to the formation of the sun and the universe... IMO this is no way to answer the question. When we say that a rock gains energy as it falls we say that the gravitational field does the work on the rock, because it is that which is supplying the force along the direction. We do not say that the seismic event that raised the rock up there millions of years ago did the work.

Yes. It just gets to a 'chicken and egg' argument with. possibly, the Big Bang at the start of it all. You are always allowed to have a black box somewhere with "Energy Source" written on it.
 

1. What is the motor effect?

The motor effect is a phenomenon in which a current-carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field experiences a force perpendicular to both the direction of the current and the direction of the magnetic field.

2. How does the motor effect work?

The motor effect works due to the interaction between the magnetic field and the electric current. The magnetic field exerts a force on the moving charges in the current, causing the conductor to experience a force and move in a circular motion.

3. What is responsible for the motor effect?

The motor effect is a result of electromagnetic induction, which is the production of an electric current in a conductor when it is placed in a changing magnetic field. The changing magnetic field induces an electric current, and the interaction between this current and the magnetic field leads to the motor effect.

4. What factors affect the strength of the motor effect?

The strength of the motor effect can be affected by several factors, including the strength of the magnetic field, the amount of current flowing through the conductor, and the angle between the current and the magnetic field. These factors can be manipulated to increase or decrease the strength of the motor effect.

5. What are the applications of the motor effect?

The motor effect has many practical applications, including in electric motors, generators, and devices such as speakers and headphones. It is also used in transportation systems such as trains and maglev trains. The motor effect also plays a crucial role in the functioning of many household appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines.

Similar threads

Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Engineering and Comp Sci Homework Help
Replies
25
Views
3K
  • Electromagnetism
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Engineering and Comp Sci Homework Help
Replies
10
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • Engineering and Comp Sci Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
5
Views
743
Replies
3
Views
802
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
1
Views
876
Replies
27
Views
2K
Back
Top