Experimental Process

My model didn’t work. The solenoid did not create a magnetic field. It may have been because there weren’t enough loops, enough voltage or I may not have got the right type of coil wire. Fortunately my school allowed me to use their model for my experiment. To measure the torque I will attach a string to the axel and suspend the motor off the ground. I will attach the other end of the string to a weight and measure the distance the motor lifts it off the ground. In order to let the motor reach full power before lifting, I will leave some stack in the string.

Materials

• Motor- click here to see how to build one
• String
• 3 Meter Sticks
• Set of Weights

The following are the steps I took to achieve my results:

1. First set up the motor perpendicular to the ground. Make sure it is level, to allow of the smoothest rotation possible, and that it is open underneath. View Picture
2. Attach a string to the axel and let it hang to the ground
3. Spin the axel 10-20 times to allow for slack, then tie a loop in the string where it is touching the ground. View Picture
4. Place a meter stick on each side of the string to restrict it from moving up and down the axel as is it winding. View Picture
5. Pull the string down so all the stack is on the ground
6. Attach a weight to the loop. View Picture
7. Turn the motor on and when it stalls, measure the distance it lifted the weight off the ground. View Picture
8. Repeat step 5-7 until the weight is barely lifted off the ground

Note: As your weight increases, you may want to construct a support to allow secondary weights to hang down. Here is an example.