Making an Electric Motor

9th Annual Day of the Teacher Conference

March 26, 2011

CSUEB Concord Campus

Charles Reynes Elementary Science

SpecialistCastro Valley, USD

Making an Electric Motor 36-40 inches of

20 gauge enameled speaker wire.

1 magnet 2 paper clips 1 AA battery 1 Crayola

marker scissors

Making an Electric MotorUnbend the paperclips.Fold the smaller end back on itself as shown.

Making an Electric Motor Coil the wire

12-16 times around the end of the marker.

Leave about 3-4 inches at each end.

Making an Electric Motor Carefully slide the

coil off the marker. Be sure it doesn’t uncoil.

Crayola markers are tapered so it is easiest to slide the coil toward the cap.

Making an Electric Motor Use each end of

the wire to bind the coils together.

It is important to create a balanced and symmetrical rotor.

Making an Electric Motor The

commutator is created by scraping half the insulation off both ends of the wire.

Strip insulation from bottom side of each wire.

Making an Electric Motor Place the magnet

on the battery and hold the paperclips in place.

Place the rotor in the paper clip cradle and give it a little push.