How does beakman's electric motor work?

[chase222]

In class we made a beakman's electric motor using wire, a battery, and a magnet. I don't understand how the motor works though. Can someone explain it to me? I think it has something to do with the magnetic poles, but I am not sure. This site: fly.hiwaay.net/~palmer/motor.html has a diagram of the exact motor we made. Thanks!

 

[Andrew Mason]

In class we made a beakman's electric motor using wire, a battery, and a magnet. I don't understand how the motor works though. Can someone explain it to me? I think it has something to do with the magnetic poles, but I am not sure. This site: fly.hiwaay.net/~palmer/motor.html has a diagram of the exact motor we made. Thanks!

It works on an inefficient DC motor principle.

In the Beakman motor, that black square you see is a magnet. The coil has to be closer to one pole of the magnet (I don't see how it would work if it is right in the middle equidistant from the magnet's poles). So if you use a bar magnet, you have to be closer to one end.

The current (from battery connected to wire armature via little hook cradles) goes around the armature windings in a loop (circle). This generates a magnetic field around the wire and turns the loop into a magnet (say N pole on top, S on bottom). If the loop is nearer the S pole of the bar magnet the loop will rotate so the N pole moves toward the bar magnet and the S pole moves away, so the loop turns.

However when the loop makes a 1/2 turn, the current is cut off (because the wire has insulation on the side that is now in contact with the cradle contact) but the loop continues its motion (inertia) until the part with no insulation moves into contact and the current flows again repeating the cycle. In a normal DC motor, at the 1/2 turn the current switches direction (using a commutator) flipping the N and S poles of the loop instead of shutting off the magnetic poles, so there is positive torque at all times instead of torque on only half of the cycle.

AM

 

[thepatientmental]

Sure, I would be happy to explain how Beakman's electric motor works! First, it is important to understand that electric motors work by converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. In other words, they use electricity to create movement.

In the case of Beakman's motor, the wire acts as a conductor for the flow of electricity. When the battery is connected to the wire, it creates a circuit and allows the electricity to flow through the wire. This creates a magnetic field around the wire, as electricity and magnetism are closely related.

Now, the magnet comes into play. As you mentioned, the magnetic poles are important in understanding how the motor works. When the magnet is placed near the wire, the magnetic field created by the electricity interacts with the magnetic field of the magnet. This causes the wire to experience a force, which makes it move.

In the diagram on the website you mentioned, you can see that the wire is wrapped around a nail or a cylindrical object. This creates a coil, which increases the strength of the magnetic field and therefore, the force on the wire. As the wire moves, it also moves the coil, which in turn moves the magnet. This creates a continuous cycle of movement, as long as the battery is connected and the circuit is complete.

I hope this explanation helps you better understand how Beakman's electric motor works. It is a simple but fascinating concept, and I encourage you to continue exploring and learning about it.