Energy & Electricity in Science : How Does an Electric Motor Work?

[AwesomeDeadScum]

I liked the lesson pretty much :) very good explaining

[sandslash123]

Why can't I apply Right hand rule to it? Why are you applying left hand rule?

[AwesomeDeadScum]

@sandslash123 because left hand rule shows you the direction of magnetic force (your thumb) in relation to electric current flow (middle finger), which is quite useful in this case. You have to make sort of "pistol" figure with your fingers: when thumb is upwards, index finger is straight and middle finger is angled 90 degrees. Quite easy :)

[sandslash123]

@AwesomeDeadScum in that case, what does the right hand rule shows?

[AwesomeDeadScum]

@sandslash123 If there's magnetic field (not the induced one obviously) like here (magnets), you use left hand rule and you have to point your index finger from north to south pole of magnets, middle goes as the current flows and then thumb shows you the motion direction. You couldn't use right hand here because it shows only induced magnetic field direction instead of motion, and it doesnt consider any external magnetic fields.

[livedandletdie]

If I would grade any of the videos I've seen here on eHow I would say that there are at least 4-5 things wrong in them, they are using wrong terms and not really explaining how things do work. An electric motor works by rotating a coil meaning magnetic material to generate an electric current that sends electrons down a wire. It is pretty simple thing to do but here is the fun thing magnets have a state of equality meaning that the coil will stand still if no outside force is applied.

[livedandletdie]

When real scientist talks about magnetic fields... no North and southpole. it's positive pole and negative pole. And think about what you say. When this coil turns half a turn which is 180º not 90º sometimes I which people where more correct and stopped giving out false information. And to someone down in the comments A current of electricity cannot penetrate an magnetic field because the electric current makes an electric field so the magnetic field is always parallel to the current.

[lovemusic5596]

Is the roatation of that commutator is opposite to the roatation of that coil ?

[lovemusic5596]

What happens if the current is parallel to the direction of the magnetic field ?

[lovemusic5596]

What is the use of split rings commutator ??

[lovemusic5596]

Why do we use brushes of carbon instead of any other material ??

[jacobfuehne]

i agree, what he said would have never made since to me if i had watched someone else explain it

[userx100]

Best ehow vids I've seen.

[srishtioct]

ye baby!!!

mr.steve jones rocks!!!!!!

beautiful concepts!!!

[akh00il]

very good explanation

[oberowns]

thats a rule....whats actually happening?

[sahilsingh021]

very nice video....clears the concept..

[hat08able]

my doubt is cleared :D

[abhiramajit]

excellent explanation pro!!! that was really cool!!!!

[kanwarjit]

Very Nice explanation. 10/10 for you Professor

[oberowns]

How does the current create a force upwards and downwards?...

[sahilsingh021]

@oberowns through fleming left hand rule..

[SunGreenSolarEnergy]

Do sunspots affect solar electric systems?

[MrSaqib140]

Very Good Explanation Gentleman!! Really English pple are awesome and the most intelligent!! Thats the reason why I like English Countries...

[buffnufin]

thanks! :) Simple to understand

[yeomans95]

its not the best description unfortiantly - its all true just harder to follow.

[raducu8881]

i'm so nervous because i don't know a lot of English and i don't understand much.... :|

[chickenlover01]

If you put a battery in backwards why does the motor not run backwards?

[Pekainis]

@chickenlover01 Because the charges are opposite.

[ivikashsing]

its realy very useful for me ...thats the fundamental ..thanks for techniques...

[frank0067]

ya i was taught current flows from negative to positive ..accept in England where the electrons flow on the wrong side of the road

[ujustgotpwned1]

@frank0067 current does flow from negative to positive, but conventional current flows from positive to negative.

So to clear up misconceptions, no there is no second current, it was thought earlier that current went from positive to negative, and many rules and such were made based on this, so we use conventional current when applying rules such as the flemings left hand rule, although current actually flows from negative to positive.

[frank0067]

@ujustgotpwned1

well we don't live in concepts.. well.. alot of us anyways.. but in practice.. + is where the power is.. thats why we equate the neg. - terminal with ground in a number of cases or purposes.

[InfiniteRenovatio]

very good

[shadesolo]

I have a small motor and it does not work ,what could be the reason for this?



[missloretta]

Oh this was super helpful! I still don't really understand how the commutator works? He said the axle keeps turning because the two bits of it "swap over" what does that mean and how does it work?

By the way, I have no idea how I escaped high school and college without learning this sort of useful thing, but I'm so glad resources like this exist so I can learn about the things that interest me.

[hossamrida]

Indeed very helpful! Thanks

[absolutleybrian]

I had to watch that twice to understand. Apparently I'm American! Fantastic I now want to see a true example of good working electric motor!

[DavidXLotus]

what would happen if u made the n and s rotate around the coil as everything is goin on

[DGuitarbite]

@DavidXLotus you can either rotate the commutator(coil) or the magnets it will both produce the same result......

[strikernl]

It would be better if he had said south goes to north. because i believe electrons flow from minus to plus. i could be wrong...

[Dragogoel]

@ dandman1343

earlier it was believed that positive charges move from positive terminal to other, when it was discovd that they move the other way round there was a debate as to name the discover "ngative" as "positive" or something . because it all bacame too confusing and latofdirection laws had been made by the time the let it be.

[dan020350]

No more homework . 

[NeerodhaCE]

Thank you very much, wonderful explanation...

[MrPgoalie]

great video thanks!

[dandman1343]

He is refering to the conventional current which is from positive to negative, which is actually wat is taught in schools. thats because someone got the current flow wrong when it was discovered then for some stupid reason they decided to keep it like that instead of making it the proper way, which is called electron flow which is negative to positive.

[pinkistoughjj]

@dandman1343

No, I actually just learned about electron flow in grade 9 and they taught us the proper way; negative to positive. We were taught about conventional flow and how that was first discovered though.

[supersexyroybird]

nothing like a online science teacher, cheers

[w0mblemania]

Thanks for the video. The hand/fingers explanation was totally baffling but the rest was good.

[yusufp]

thanks... this is much better than revising out of a book XD

[shot123]

wicked! thanks

[poemZX]

shouldn't the current be flowing from negative to positive?

[derrick713]

of course, you got it right! electrons have a negative charge

[Memiiable]

how does it transforms electricity into mechanical??????? :| i am having a big test tomorrow and i am really confused ;|

[drwolf3]

thanks for describing things .

[6037329]

now we know :D

[mightymigga]

THX

Michael, the Netherlands

[dan020350]

i think the diagram of a coil must be added to understand better.

[LemonAndYoghurt]

Wow..

One question, you don't need electricity to charge the magnets do you, it;s all natural force i guess bc of the earths poles? Will you have free energy like this if you connect a dynamo to the rotation?

[mohanned94]

hello steve Jones, I have a quick question for you (or anyone qualified on youtube that can answer).

I'm building an electromagnetic motor and I don't want to waste supplies to have my experiment fail so my question is, instead of using a permanent magnet to create the magnetic field around the coil, can i use an electromagnet? I was also wondering how well a large eraser would work as insulater? (as I am underfunded).

Can i also substitue brushes for copper wire (continue reading next post)..

[mohanned94]

@mohanned94

I will bend them so the copper wire will add pressure to the insulator and revolving disks. Thanks for the help in advance.

[dan020350]

I wish i can see a demonstration identifying each part, but still good :)

[vhyzhar]

Thanks Prof

[Rotitomato]

First of all no use for name calling. I'm open for discussion. Second, the stuff I wrote in quotation mark is from the Wikapedia web site. Anyways my point is, when you explain to the average guy how electric motors work you should be just saying that here is where you hook up the battery, this side negative that side positive. Chances are the average Joe won't know about conventional current. Which I do, inspite of your accusations. That's why the presentation is not quite sound to me. G'day!

[aqakiler]

Just before 2.00 should be one quarter not one half

[Jitters091]

@aqakiler yup its a quarter. nontheless excellent explaination. probably u should explain this to my teacher!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol. she cant explain that good.

[Jitters091]

@aqakiler

can anyone tell me if he is a teacher? if he is can you tel me where he teaches?

[walterbrunswick]

Very well-illustrated and explained diagram.

Thank you!!

[electrourge]

Thanks

[HobieTyourtube]

Electron flow-------------negative to positive.

Conventional Current flow---------positive to negative.

I think it was after "Conventional "current agreement that it was "realised "that the opposite was true.

Steve.

[Rotitomato]

He is a good guy explaining but I thought that electricity flows from negative to positive not positive to negative. At least that was the agreement long time ago. Please pay more attention when you make a presentation. Other than that it's a good job!

[KaichoShi]

I don't think so.

The agreement was that the current's direction is the oposite of the electron's flow direction.

Since electrons go from - to +, current's direction is + to -

[Rotitomato]

Perhaps, if we're talking about conventional current. Here is a quote from an article." In solids such as wires, the positive charge carriers are immobile, and only the negatively charged electrons flow." Since, our conductor is a copper wire and positive charge carriers don't move how can the current's direction be from + to -? I'm open for a discussion, frankly, this is a bit confusing.

[horizonflyer9]

wow! thank you so much for explaining how they work! i was always wondering how they worked. thanks again

[soapandwafflesrule]

i still have a question

when it truns

why does it make energry i still dont get it

[Bmeson]

motor uses energy.

you mean dynamo

use wikipedia =)

[katluva135]

it makes kinetic energy (which is produced when something moves)

[harveyboy55]

this video was really helpful for school, but I really don't understand how flemmings law works..

[tghooker]

i dont understand the force part can someone explain that to me

[ProgC]

This is amazing. thanks :)

[kezzine]

this was indispensable to my understanding dc motors in order to complete my lab report.

I'm having trouble finding something as good as this so that I can grasp induction motors though.

[vinnieolle]

Wow, I watched so many "How an electric motor works" videos but still didn't understand until now.

[sitron3]

this is very easy to understand, very good

[farrag00]

thanks for making me understand how an electric motor works:)

[BeRcHu000]

u aint got any comments, nor much views but ive gt to say your really useful