Project help (electrical motor)

[Max999_ca]

This is probably a really newbie question but anyway I'll ask it, me and my buddies are doing an electrical motor for our high school physics class and we are running into problem one after another. We are only allowed the following materials
A block of wood for the base
6 nails
5 popsicle sticks
6 thumb tacks
Adhesive tape (of any kind)
unlimited amount of paper
copper wire
and a piece of foil

We have the stator almost figured out but we are having problem with the rotor and we're out of ideas, I'd elaborate more on the ideas but I know the terms in french and I'm not sure of the right translation. Any ideas are welcome

Thx in advance
-Max

 

[Aaron Barnard]

One idea is to construct the rotor using two nails and the popsicle sticks. Place one nail in the center of the block of wood, and then attach the popsicle sticks so that they are evenly spaced around the nail. Wrap the copper wire around the rotor and connect it to the other nail. Finally, attach the piece of foil to the outside of the rotor using adhesive tape. This should give you a working rotor for your motor.

 

[Graeme Robinson]

Hi Max,

First of all, don't worry about asking a "newbie" question - we all have to start somewhere and it's great that you and your friends are taking on this project! It sounds like you have some good materials to work with, so let's see if we can come up with some ideas for your rotor.

One option could be to use the popsicle sticks and adhesive tape to create a small propeller shape. You can then attach this to the end of your rotor using the thumb tacks. The propeller shape will help to rotate the rotor when the motor is turned on.

Another idea could be to use the foil and copper wire to create a coil that can be attached to the rotor. This coil will act as an electromagnet when electricity flows through it, and the magnetic field it creates will interact with the stator to rotate the rotor.

You can also experiment with different winding patterns for the copper wire to see which one produces the strongest magnetic field. And don't be afraid to try out different materials for the rotor itself - maybe using paper and tape to create a lightweight yet sturdy structure.

I hope these ideas help get you started, and don't hesitate to ask for clarification on any terms or concepts that may be unclear. Good luck with your project!