Lab 6: Electrical Motors

Ping, Bell, Eve, Taey, Peepee 11-2

Objective: To build, understand and analyze an electric motor
Background: Magnetic Field Produced by a Solenoid
It is known that magnetism is caused by the motion of electrons. Electric currents, the flow of
charged particles, are sources of magnetic fields. With solenoids, loops of conductive wire, it
is possible to generate an electromagnet, which behaves similarly to a permanent magnet
made of Iron. In the diagram below, a current, I, flows through the solenoid. The magnetic
field produces at the central axis of the solenoid can be estimated with:
B=o

N
I
L

where N is the number of turns, L is the length of the solenoid and

o is the permeability

of free space (1.2566 X 10-10 N/A2).

In this lab, you will use a solenoid to create the prototype of a simple motor. The magnetic
field from a permanent magnet will interact with that of a solenoid to produce a torque on the
solenoid and initiate its rotation.

Preliminary Questions:
a. A solenoid is 15.0 cm long and has 250 turns. What is the magnetic field strength inside the
solenoid if the current in the coils is 3.8 A?
8*10^-3 T
b. A solenoid is to be wound on a cardboard form 30.0 cm long. How many turns of wire are
needed to produce a magnetic field of 6.28 x 10-3 T, if the maximum allowable current is 5.0
A?
300 turns
c. A solenoid 40.0 cm long has a magnetic field of 5.0 x 10-3 T when the current in it is 10.0
A. How many turns of wire does it have?

160 turns
d. What magnetic field is needed to exert a force of 1.0 x 10-15 N on an electron travelling
2.0 x 107 m/s?
29.205 T
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Copper wire
Two needles
One foam support
Universal stand and clamps
Vernier Magnetic Field sensor
LabQuest
Lap top with Logger Pro
Small permanent magnet
Sand paper

Procedure
1. Making the solenoid:
a. Roll the copper wire around the permanent magnet (use the magnet as a
template to assemble the solenoid). Make five turns. Take the permanent
magnet out.
b. Use the extra wire on both extremes to make two or three turns to hold the
turns of the solenoid together (see figure below).

c. Cut the wires at the extremes so they are no more than 2 cm in length on both
sides.
2. Assembling:
a. Stick the needles on the foam support separated by no more than 4 cm.
b. Rub each end of the solenoid with the sand paper to make sure they have good
electrical contact.
c. Stick each end of the solenoid to the holes of each needle so the solenoid is
suspended between the two needles.
3. Measuring the magnetic field and current
a. Connect the power supply to the LabQuest interface and the interface to your
computer. Open the power amplifier control window and set it up to DC.
b. Connect the power amplifier, the current probe and the needles as shown on
the diagram on the board.

c. Turn on the power amplifier. Zero the current probe when the voltage in the
power amplifier is set to 0 V.
d. Apply a voltage of no more than 3 V. Check if you have current in the circuit
(should be no more than 0.6 A).
e. Record the current in the table.
f. Calculate the magnetic field in the solenoid with the formula given in the
background section. Record this value in the table. The Length of the coil can
be estimated with: L = # of turns X thickness of the wire (assume the thickness
of the wire is 200 m)
g. Connect the magnetic field sensor to your LabQuest. CAUTION: Do not
bring the field sensor to a close distance with the permanent magnet. Make
sure they are at least separated by 30 cm.
h. Hold the sensor using the clamp and the universal stand. Zero the sensor when
it is away from the coil.
i. Bring the sensor close (a few millimeters) to the solenoid and record in the
table the value of the magnetic field. Make sure that the circular area of the
sensor is parallel to the circular area of the solenoid
4. Running the motor
a. Disconnect the current probe and connect the power amplifier to the two
needles.
b. Apply a voltage between 4-8 V.
c. Bring the permanent magnet close to the solenoid and observe what happens.
d. Find an optimum position for the permanent magnet in order to make the
solenoid rotate for the longest time. If you find a position in which the
solenoid turns without stopping, it is even better.
e. Record a video of the motor running
Results
Current (A)
0.328

Mag. Field
(Calculated)
0.0021

Mag. Field
(Measured)
0.004

Analysis:
1. Is the magnetic field measured in agreement with the calculated magnetic field?
No, the magnetic field measured is not in agreement with the calculated
magnetic field. As the result, calculated magnetic field is not equal to
measured magnetic field.

2. Explain step by step why the solenoid keeps turning. Use diagrams. In your
explanation, include the forces and concepts that are involved.
The DC motor is a machine that transforms electrical energy into mechanical
energy in form of rotation. When we applied voltage and added permanent

magnet next to the electromagnetic the repulsive and attractive forces will
produce a torque.

3.

Investigate and explain another type of

electrical motor. Use diagrams and mention the forces and concepts involved.
There are two types of electrical motor, direct current motor which we used in
the experiment and alternating current motor. Alternating current motor or AC
describes the flow of charge that changes direction periodically and the
voltage level reverse along with the current. AC can be produced using a
device called an alternator. This device is a special type of electrical generator
designed to produce alternating current.

4. The magnetic field sensor works due to the Hall Effect? Investigate and explain what
the Hall Effect is.
Yes, the magnetic field sensor works due to the Hall Effect. Hall Effect is the
presence of the measurable transverse voltage when an electric current flows
through a conductor in a magnetic field, the magnetic field exerts a transverse

force on the moving charge carriers which tends to push them to one side of
the conductor and it buildup of charge at the sides of the conductors will
balance this magnetic influence, producing a measurable voltage between the
two sides of the conductor.
Conclusion
In this experiment, we tried to make the rolled copper wire which we put it in the
middle of two needles turning. We generates the magnetic field by applying the voltage. We
were able to made the simple motor by using the copper coil. This experiment help us
understand more about how magnetic field from a permanent magnet interact with solenoid
to produce a torque on the solenoid and initiate its rotation. In this experiment our coil was
not symmetry so, it was hard to make the coil keep turning. If we have more time in this
experiment we will make a new coil that symmetry. Therefore, we will get a good result.