Download 969-Enquiring Minds Motors Stage 3

Motors
Physics
Specification
E
AQA
S
Edexcel
E
OCR Gateway
E
WJEC
OCR Twenty First Century
Science
Enquiring Minds Stage 3: Doing and making
CBI: Team working – contributing to discussions
Problem solving – analysing facts and situations
Application of numeracy – practical contexts (eg measuring, weighing, estimating
and applying formulae)
Communication and literacy – clear, structured written work and oral literacy
Triple Science resources
Quick
guide(s)
Training
materials
e-learning asset/web link on
triplescience.org.uk
Case studies
http://www.triplescience.org.uk/tripsci/Physics/
magnetism/
Physics case
study Ravens
Wood School:
Try ‘Electric Motors’
For info re motor effect, try ‘Electricity and
Making Things Move’
Keywords
Motor, electromagnetism, motion
How Science Works
1.1 Data, evidence, theories and explanations
The motor effect
c how explanations of many phenomena can be
developed using scientific theories, models and ideas.
1.2 Practical and enquiry skills
a plan to solve a scientific problem.
How Science Works progression in this activity
Students are developing practical skills and appreciating how scientific knowledge can
be used to explain the function of a simple device.
Learning objectives
Students will:
 follow instructions to produce a working model of an electric motor
 apply scientific knowledge to explore methods for altering the speed of the motor.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to produce a working electric motor.
Key concepts/knowledge/skills/understanding addressed by this activity
 The interaction of an electric current and a magnetic field can result in motion.
 Altering the current flowing, the number of coils or the strength of the magnetic field
are common ways of altering motor effects.
Assessment opportunities in this activity
There are opportunities to assess students’ manipulative skills and problem solving.
How ICT is used to support learning
Students can use websites to see how to build their motors.
Overview of activity
Students build a single pole motor to illustrate their understanding of the motor principle.
Because resources are simple, this project can be extended to investigate the effect of
number of turns, strength of magnetic field, etc.
Activity in detail
Activity title
Building a simple homopolar electric motor
Begin by recalling previous work on the interaction of electric currents and magnetic fields
to describe and explain the motor effect.
Most schools will have the ‘standard’ motor kit, but variables are hard to control or alter.
Here, students can use their imagination to adjust their motors, possibly working
individually or in small groups.
The following two sites show how to build a single pole motor:
http://fly.hiwaay.net/~palmer/motor.html
http://scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/electro/electro.html - single
A different model is available from
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/HomopolarMotor
Students build a model quickly and may try to explain the process by which it works. They
may be able to change various parts, depending on which model they make. It may also
be possible to use an electromagnet rather than a permanent magnet, allowing more
variables to be considered.
Some students might like to extend this work to include extra brushes.
This activity could be of interest for an extended project or a science club.
Opportunities to differentiate learning
By input – some students may need help with building the motors; some may find
removing the insulation particularly difficult.
By outcome – quality of creative work, depth of scientific exposition if required, ability to
extend to more complex models.
Risk assessment
Main hazards identified
Who would
be affected?
Control measures to reduce risk
Sharp implements used for
cutting or removing
insulation
Any student
participating
Warn students not to misuse
equipment
Overheating of wire
Any student
participating
Have bench protectors
Warn students to beware of hot wire
and to switch off quickly if problems
occur
Resources
Insulated copper wire, bare copper wire (or other method of building ‘brushes’), magnet,
power supply or cell, insulating tape
http://resources.schoolscience.co.uk/CDA/14-16/physics/index.html
Other websites explaining how to make simple dc motors include
http://fly.hiwaay.net/~palmer/motor.html
http://scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/electro/electro.html - single
A different model is available from
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/HomopolarMotor
A reminder of the motor principles may be taken from
http://www.antonine-education.co.uk/Physics_GCSE/Unit_3/Topic_7/topic_7.htm