What Is The Motor Effect?

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What Is The Motor Effect?

2 Answers

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Answer 1

Electric currents in wires and coils produce magnetic fields. If these wires and coils are near strong permanent magnets, the wires and coils can actually start to move. This movement is caused by the interaction between two magnetic fields. The first field is the magnetic field produced when the current flows in the wires and coils, the second is the magnetic field from the permanent magnet.

This combination of electricity and magnetism which causes movement is called the motor effect. This is how electric motors create movement. When a motor operates, electrical energy is transformed into kinetic (movement) energy.

The motor effect occurs when a conductor carrying an electric current is placed in a magnetic field. The conductor experiences a force and, if this force is large enough, the conductor will move.

Today, we are very dependent on electric motors in all sorts of applications.

Answer 2

The motor effect is the movement caused by a combination of electricity and magnetism. It occurs when a temporary electromagnet is brought near to a permanent magnet and the two magnetic fields interact. When there is no current in the conducting wire of an electromagnet, the magnetic field of the permanent magnet will go straight across between the poles of the magnet.

When a current flows through the conducting wire, it produces a circular magnetic field. Below the wire, the magnetic field due to the current in the wire is in the same direction as the field from the magnet, but above the wire the magnetic field due to the current is in the opposite direction to the field from the magnet. This means the field is stronger below the wire but weaker above it. The wire is pushed upwards by the stronger field below, and this is how movement occurs, caused by the motor effect.