How is it that your toy car can zoom about or your electric fan spins around?🚗
Well, easy answer... it's because of motors.
But, you might be asking, what exactly is a motor and how is it able to make objects move?
Motors need 4 main parts to work:
- Battery or Power Source: This gives the motor energy.
- Coil of Wire (also known as an Electromagnet): This becomes a magnet when energy flows through it.
- Magnets: Works with the coil to make the motor move.
- Shaft: The part that spins and makes things happen!
So, how do all these parts work together to make a motor spin?
Electricity flows from the Battery or Power Source. Because the wire is made of metal it is able to conduct electricity - this means electricity is able to flow through it. Think of this like a line of people standing really close together. If one person is pushed, they will fall, making the person behind them fall and so on. This is similar to how electricty is able to flow through the coil with the Power Source acting as the initial push.
When electricity flows through the coil, it turns into a magnet, known as an electromagnet. When this happens, the coil becomes attracted to the magnets already in the motor. If you have ever played with magnets, you will notice that they can pull together or push away without you barely touching them. Due to this, the magnets inside the motor push and pull the coil making it spin around.
The spinning coil then turns the shaft. If you connect a wheel to the shaft you wheel will now be able to spin. Crazy, right?
Motors are so important in every day life. They are used in washing machines, cars, boats, and so much more. They quite literally help the world go round.
Fun fact: Did you know the smallest motor is so tiny, it fits inside a grain of rice?
There you go Inventor! Now you know how motors work.🚀
See you next time 👋