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Build a
Simple Electric
Motor
Grades 9-12
Free Energy, Overunity, and Electromagnetism
9-12
2.3 Build a Simple Electric Motor
The Scenario
Electric motors are ubiquitous in our world today. From the
tiny vibrator in a cell phone to the starter in our car to the
humming motor of a train that is so powerful that it needs a
diesel engine to power it – electric motors are everywhere.
But does the average person even know how they work?
Today’s experiment involves one of the simplest electric
motors possible, yet the science behind it is fascinating. Be
mesmerized and discover for yourself what makes it work.
Materials
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Fresh size D Battery
1 Copper coil
A strong magnet
Electrical tape
2 jumbo paper clips
Let’s Think
•What is a motor?
•What roles do our materials play?
•How do you think this motor will work?
Unit Title
Grade Level
E(x)pedition Title
The Activity
1) Twist paperclips as shown.
3) Make sure that paper clip
supports are the same height.
2) Attach to both sides of battery with electrical tape.
4) Slide the leads from the
wire loop into the small loops
that you made with the paper clips.
The Activity Cont.
5) Center the loop of wire
between the paperclip stands.
6) Place magnet on battery beneath the wire loop.
7) Center the loop and give it a little spin.
The Activity
8) The wire loop should begin spinning on its
own.
Conclusion
Summarize what you learned from this activity
by answering the following questions:
• What makes the loop spin?
• Why do you need a battery? What function
does it play?
• Why do you need a magnet? What function
does it play?
• Can this motor work without the magnet?
• Can this motor work without the battery?
• Is the battery being used to turn the loop?
• If you continued to allow the loop to spin, will
that eventually drain the battery? Why or why
not?
• If you could get a motor like this to turn
without a battery, would that be an example
of Free Energy?
• Why or why not?
What makes the loop spin? The moving charges through the wire are pushed and
pulled due to presence of the magnetic field.
Why do you need the battery? What function does it play? It provides the charge
that flows through the wire.
Why do you need a magnet? What function does it play? The magnet provides the
magnetic field, which allows the electrons flowing through the wire to be alternately
attracted or repelled by the permanent magnetic field.
Can the motor work without the magnet? No.
Can the motor work without the battery? No.
Is the battery being used to turn the loop? No, the battery provides the current
flowing through the wire. Without the presence of the magnetic field, there would be
no force to turn the wire.
If you continued to allow the loop to spin, will that eventually drain the battery? Why
or why not? Yes, because you are draining the charge from the battery.
If you could get a motor like this to turn without a battery, would that be an example
of free energy? Why or why not? Yes, assuming that there were no other outside
energy forces supplying energy to the system.
Unit Title
Grade Level
E(x)pedition Title