Byjus Logo

Watch electromagnetic force come alive with this DIY!

Team StoryWeavers|February 09, 2021, 11:58 IST| 156

Build a DC Motor

There’s a good chance that right now, as you read this, you may be surrounded by a few motors in your vicinity. At least two in your laptop/computer, one in the ceiling fan, one in the exhaust fan and many more as you visit each room of your house!

Surprised? 

credits: giphy

It can be said that today’s modern lifestyle is impossible without these motors! Electric motors are easily one of the most important inventions for humankind.  Today we’re going to learn how to make one for ourselves! A really simple DIY with everyday stuff around you – not big enough to power anything huge but just enough to blow your mind! Let’s get started on this DC Motor DIY journey. Before putting on your creator’s hat, let’s first understand what an electric motor is!

The principle behind and electric motor 

An electric motor is used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. Similarly, when you convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, it’s called a generator. The working of an electric motor is based on the fact that a current-carrying conductor produces a magnetic field around it. And once you introduce a magnet into this circuit, the conductor will move. If it’s shaped like a coil, it will rotate. Why does this happen? 

The magnetic field of the magnet interferes with that produced by the electric current flowing in the conductor. Since the coil has become a magnet, one side of it will be attracted to the north pole of the magnet and the other to the south pole. This causes the coil to continuously rotate.

Still wondering how all this happens? Guess which scientific phenomenon is the cause of all this? Look closely at your hands, the answer is right there!

credits: tenor

We are talking about Fleming’s Right Hand Rule and Left Hand Rule. You can read all about it here.

There are various types of motors, so here’s a quick diagram of its many types:

While they’re all really exciting and efficient for their specific uses, today we are building the Permanent Magnet DC Motor type. Let’s get started!

Materials required:

  1. Non enamelled copper wire
  2. Ferrite magnets
  3. 1 C Size battery
  4. Rubber bands
  5. 2 Steel paper clips 
  6. Marker pen

Methodology:

  1. Take the copper wire, wrap it around the marker pen two or three times to make your coil with axles. Position the ends in a straight line on either side of the coil such that they are directly across from each other to form an axle. What you just made is referred to as an armature.
  2. Ensure that the copper wire coil is balanced in shape such that it can rotate easily. Test it by placing its axles between your thumb and index finger and spinning it. It should spin smoothly.
  3. Shape the paper clips such that it has loops at the top to hold the coil axles. 
  4. Wrap the rubber band tightly around the battery.  Insert the paper clips so each one is touching one of the terminals, and they are securely held by the rubber band.
  5. Now insert the coil through the axles into the paper clip loops attached to the battery. You just made a circuit! The electricity through the battery will be flowing through the copper wire coil. You may find the paperclips to be heating up a bit. Break the circuit when not using it.
  6. Now bring the magnets close to the circuit. Divide them into two batches, one being the north end the other the south end. The two batches will repel each other. Place one batch of magnets on top of the battery and then bring the other batch at 180 degrees opposite to the first batch. 
  7. You’ll see that the coil has started moving. It is rotating! You can gently give it a nudge if it’s not rotating. And your DC Motor is ready!

There you have it! A small specimen of what’s inside your fan, toys and many other gadgets. In fact, the vibrating function in cell phones is also achieved through a tiny DC motor inside! Motors, motors everywhere yet only one in front of you, the one you built yourself! While you may understand everything about this motor, can you guess,

What does it take to reverse the direction of the coil’s spinning? 

How can you increase the speed of this motor?

Take a guess in the comments section below!

About the Author


Charu, a feminist and an accidental writer, is yet to master the art of writing about herself. Always curious to learn new stuff, she ends up spending a lot of time unlearning the incorrect lessons. She enjoys all sorts of stories – real, fictional, new, old, hers and would love hearing yours too. Feel free to ping her at storyweavers@byjus.com to share anything that you think is worth sharing.

Leave a Comment


*

Comments



Amogh Kottada

September 26, 2020

To reverse the coil spinning we have to show the other pole of the magnet
To increase the speed we need to use a stronger magnet.


Uday Raj Khatri

September 26, 2020

Thank you for this information because I was thinking for a long time if I can build a DC motor by myself even I also know science behind it very well??


Samarth chauhan

September 26, 2020

Awesome! I have no words to say


Krishna periwal

September 28, 2020

Awesome I will definitely try it


KOLLOJU raghava

September 28, 2020

Very awesome trick


Thiyasthil kumar

September 28, 2020

Yeah..it’s very usefull and easy thankyou for doing this ??


Pramod Sahare

September 28, 2020

Excellent


Priyadarshani Dhaigude

September 28, 2020

Wow so amazing ??
I love to do this type of expriment??

Soon I will try this ?

Thank you BYJUS for giving me extra activities including studies this helps a lot for my extra calicular activities
Thanking our teachers and the BYJUS committee to help us
Thank you BYJUS
And we all love are teachers ??????
I wish I could meet them ?????

…..


Anushka Ankush Khot

September 28, 2020

Really awesome ???????????


Saumya Mehrotra

September 28, 2020

Very nice motor … By using simple equipments .. really appreciatable ..


Saumya Mehrotra

September 28, 2020

Very nice


Chand

September 28, 2020

Helped a lot thank it worked


Chand

September 28, 2020

I liked it


Nandini lohana

September 28, 2020

thankyou for informing i will try it out at my home


Mukunth

September 28, 2020

To reverse the direction-
-1 Reverse the poles of magnet
-2 Reverse the battery itself (will be hard in this structure but still u can use D.P.C.T switch for this)

To increase the speed
-1 use stronger magnet
-2 use a rechargeable 9-12v battery (costly)
-3 use a soft iron between the coil (rare)
-4 increase the turns in the coil
-5 increase the number of coils and give it a series connection
-6 use a stand for it .. Enhances it’s stability.


Anushka Patil

September 28, 2020

Nice activity


Reet Tiwary

September 28, 2020

I am going to try this out at home. This is really good. The best thing is I have all the things to make this at home.


Madhvi Goyar

September 28, 2020

Awesome thank you for this information Byjus


Parva Shah

September 28, 2020

I have made it in grade 6 in a science club of our school it works very well


Ambika Sharma

September 28, 2020

Wow !!!!


Sashibhusan Sahoo

September 28, 2020

You can also use with your phone or computer by**USB Ports**
Cut the port You Will Find Two Wires Chech + & – Conncect To It Cellotape it Now Insert in your phone or pc or charger it will work


Manav Philip

September 28, 2020

awesome surely gonna try it


Ar Ayush Kumar Sahoo

September 28, 2020

I was also wondering what if i can make a DC motor so now i can it by my own thanks byjus.


Lekshmi Jayan

September 28, 2020

To reverse the direction of a coil spinning, we have to interchange the poles of the magnet or the cell, I think so.
And to increase the speed of the motor, I think the no. of cells should be increased.

And Thank you so much to BYJUS DIY team. I am very excited to make the DC Motor.


Drushya

September 28, 2020

Thanks it’s very easy I would like to try this


Surbhi Singh

September 28, 2020

Thank you so much Byju’s you always Gives us extra knowledge with adding fun
…As Pandemic is going on so I think doing experiment will really fun
And I will Really Try it
#BYJU’S #DC MOTOR #DIY #SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY #TECHNOLOGY
THANK YOU BYJU’S ??


Samarjeetsingh Chandel

September 28, 2020

Nice method to study the DC motor practically


Samarjeetsingh Chandel

September 28, 2020

Nice method to study the DC motor


Aanya Sinha

September 28, 2020

Really liked it . I will try this at home.??


B.Rajlaxmi

September 28, 2020

Really what a amazing one one of the most enjoyable expriment l liked it ………. I wish byju’s sends
more such think for fun ? I too love love the way Byju’s teacher teaches us ….????????……….
Thanks a lot BYJU’S …… I wish all the best to u ????………


Soham Khedkar

September 28, 2020

This is just ammmmmmazzzzzinggggg DIY
I didn’t thought that we can make a MOTER at
home


Caroline Faria

September 28, 2020

Awesome!???


YADUKRISHNAN

September 28, 2020

Wow soo interesting i love it thank you byju’s for giving this


Souvik Das

September 28, 2020

I want to make this for a long time, but I did not have any guidence.
Thank you.


jagan

September 28, 2020

This just blowed my mind


Shreya

September 28, 2020

Me too ?


Debdatta Khan

September 28, 2020

Wow! It’s very beautiful. I shall try it.


ARVI SHARMA

September 28, 2020

Thank u byju’s. I’ll try it and make it in science fair in my school


Paras gupta

September 28, 2020

Nice idea


Mohit maheshwari

September 28, 2020

It’s amazing.


Mohit maheshwari

September 28, 2020

It’s amazing.It is scientific experiment


Mohammad Adil khan

September 28, 2020

I had prepared it for our school exhibition


Ayush Kumar

September 28, 2020

I will try


Adithri Sreejish

September 28, 2020

#ThanksByjus!


Anshika

September 28, 2020

Awesome! I will try to make


Siddhi

September 28, 2020

Wooooohoooo!!! It’s awesome. Nice information


Samiksha pilankar

September 28, 2020

Oh! I can’t believe it how it really worked .


Ishwari p.

September 28, 2020

Very nice ? thanks


Revanth Sudhan

September 28, 2020

Very nice and very important and usefull. Thank you for sending me this


Sri harsha

September 28, 2020

Awesome


Shreya Singh

September 28, 2020

Wow ! Its very knowledgeable thing.
We can earn many things from this.


Piyush Singh

September 28, 2020

I tried and it works very well.
Thanks for this interesting content.


Vaibhavi

September 28, 2020

Thank you, You I am really confused about AC and DC current but feeling I am amazing ,Thank You agin


ABHISAR SINGH ?

September 28, 2020

Wow ! That just amazing. I will try that at home. I will try it with the cardboard car and I will fit the wheel in the copper wire ! And after that the car will move by the force of the DIY motor.


Hasini

September 28, 2020

I learner many different diys from it. It was interesting ????


Abhinav

September 28, 2020

Thank you byju


Om Aryan

September 28, 2020

Awesome,since a long time I want to make it,
but knowing the science behind it I wasn’t be able to made it ,but
this Awesome DIY helped me.
Now I will definitely make it.


Sanjeev Ranjan

September 28, 2020

Awesome
I tried and I successfully almost


shantanu

September 28, 2020

You can increase the speed by increasing the power of the battery


Samruddhi Kanakdande

September 28, 2020

I was too egar to make a DC motor at home and this is what which helped me a lot for making it. Thanks byjus it is an aweful idea.


Yash Mani Gupta

September 28, 2020

Bringing the opposite pole of the magnet will increase the speed.


Saanvi Neeraj

September 29, 2020

Awesome


Athrv Pathak

September 29, 2020

This principle works on magnetic induction.
This explains why the mini motors which we have in our homes attract metallic objects.
This project is super cool I would love to try it out


Aryan

September 29, 2020

wow very good


Aryan

September 29, 2020

It looks interesting but is bit hard for me


Vibhav Dhande

September 29, 2020

Wow
Thanks so much for DIY motor
I read every experiment and vlogs
And I always enjoy
I always read the career field volg
Thank you so much again


Vibhav Dhande

September 29, 2020

Wow
Thanks so much for DIY motor
I read every experiment and vlogs
And I always enjoy
I always read the career field volg
Thank you so much again ??


Parvathy Biju

September 29, 2020

Thank you so much for this… ? I always wanted to make my own mortor one day
And here it is! Thank you so much ?. You have made me love learning.


Sarthak Rodge

September 29, 2020

HOW THE REMOTE CONTROL CAR OR REMOTE OF TV WORKS?


Utkarsh

September 29, 2020

I made this electromagnet ?


More Tanuja Pramod

September 29, 2020

Great


Dhruv

September 29, 2020

Very cool Experiment


kshitiz prakash

September 29, 2020

Really a useful knowledge !! Amazing experiment for fulfilling our thoughts????


Krish choudhary

September 29, 2020

Nice


Haarika Y.M

September 29, 2020

Very nice experiment will try it! ???????????


Reva Karnik

September 29, 2020

Wow!It’s really good.l like such activities to do.Thank you Byjus for this amazing activities.


Reva Karnik

September 29, 2020

Wow that’s really good.Thank you Byjus for this amazing activities.


Reva Karnik

September 29, 2020

It’s amazing!!!!!


Nandini Girish

September 29, 2020

Cool!


Aarush

September 29, 2020

Hey it was nice guys


Emma

September 29, 2020

Awesome, cool and lovely.


Sk. Evan Samim

September 29, 2020

Best crafting ever. This is the best thing I had ever made


Anupam Arya

September 29, 2020

Fantastic I will also do this thank you byju’s


Hari Krishna

September 29, 2020

Awesome it is speechless


Hari Krishna

September 29, 2020

Awesome it is speechless


Shruti Sharma

September 29, 2020

It is really very interesting ??


Rudresh Mathruguru Saravana Praveen Kumar

September 29, 2020

WHEN YOU INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MAGNETS AND BATTERIES, THEN THE MOTOR IS FASTER


Riddz

September 29, 2020

Amazing


Riddz

September 29, 2020

Amazing….Nice …..Very helpful


Divy Shroff

September 29, 2020

Wow! Very nice I have no words about this DIY. Fantastic ????


Yashvi

September 29, 2020

I really liked it. And will definately try it out.
Thank u Byju’s!!


MEHER ASHISH TANNA

September 29, 2020

Thank you for this information it’s very nice


Yadu

September 30, 2020

Wooooow thank you byjus I loved it


RUDRANSH

September 30, 2020

Nice


Ritika

September 30, 2020

I will surely perform it


Shikhar

September 30, 2020

Yes


Shikhar

September 30, 2020

Yes .


Sanvi Tiwari

September 30, 2020

Nice principle
I am gonna make it definitely ???.

Thanks Byjus ???


Shreesh

September 30, 2020

Yeah I would like it too


Sumit Dhara

September 30, 2020

Osam


chirag

September 30, 2020

We can increase the speed of the the motor by increasing the no. of turns in the solenid or current carrying conductor.


ansh

September 30, 2020

yes it is amazing . I will make it


Deepika saxena

October 1, 2020

Useful.. Will also try to make it.. Thanku??


Tannu

October 1, 2020

Very nice


Rishit

October 1, 2020

Thank you BYJU’S….
I’ll try to make a running homemade cardboard car by this…

Thanks a lot….


vedant chhanam

October 1, 2020

i will try it looks intresting


Dhruv Suthar

October 1, 2020

Yes ofcourse thanks for this information…


Vedang

October 1, 2020

Thank you byjus I will definitely try this…


Priyanshu bharti

October 1, 2020

Oh yes i will also try it


Allen pratap singh

October 1, 2020

It is really enjoyable.I will do at home.


Umar Anees

October 1, 2020

Amazing!!!


Samriddhi Gaur

October 1, 2020

We can also increase the number of coil to increase the effect .
By the way it is perfect think to do in covid 19
#stay_home
#stay_safe


K. Mohamed Nayeem

October 1, 2020

Wow it is fabulous amazing


Tahreem

October 2, 2020

We can increase the speed of motor by adding more magnets


Deeptanshu

October 2, 2020

To increase the speed speed by three ways:
1) increasing the number of turns of the coil
2) increasing the power supply
3) increasing the power of magnet
To reverse the direction of spinning we have to reverse the poles of the magnet


Suhani Chatterjee

October 2, 2020

This DIY was amazing ??
I tried and almost successful ??


Manan raninga

October 2, 2020

Super idea?????????????????


Muktasid

October 2, 2020

That was really awesome. Thank you Byju’s team for this many efforts.


Abhinav

October 2, 2020

It’s gajab….But I have made it earlier too in my school project


Rajat

October 3, 2020

Amazing


Ahnaf Anees

October 3, 2020

We have to change the + and – position of cell to reverse the direction
For increasing speed we have to increase number of coils


Vaibhav Dattatray Borhade

October 3, 2020

If we add more magnets d more copper wire then the speed will increase


Parvathi Ajayakumar

October 3, 2020

Wow! Its Super


Hardik

October 3, 2020

???????


Avani

October 4, 2020

I will try it for sure


Archana Sahoo

October 4, 2020

It can be increased by adding more coils.


Aarav

October 5, 2020

That was cool try so make new videos


Abishanka

October 5, 2020

Pls can you make a article on how to make a drone?


Dhyan

October 5, 2020

Nice!! I have done it in school but this time I will try it with a stronger magnet and many batteries.


Tamanna paira

October 5, 2020

Wow!this is extremely a very good project to make up in this lockdown.I try make this project.I like it very much??


Srijani Mukherjee

October 6, 2020

We may change the terminals or the the magnetic poles to change the direction of the coil spinning and in order to increase the strength we
may increase number of coils or teh power supplied.


Rida Hifza

October 7, 2020

What Can I Use To Replace Ferrite magnets?


Anjali krishna. R

October 8, 2020

While increasing the number of turs of coil or insresing the strength of magnet we can increasing the strength of magnet


Samriddhi

October 8, 2020

Yaa the DIY is super good. I do tried it and got pentiful of praise


Alna kunjumon

October 13, 2020

Yes that will good


Anuj Kumar

October 25, 2020

I am very happy to BYJU’S because I love learning with BYJU’S


Jhanvi Singh

October 29, 2020

Very nice


Evansamuel

November 24, 2020

Iam very happy to BYJU’S because I love learning with BYJU’S


chaitanya

December 10, 2020

It is very nice.


Divyanshi Rathore

March 12, 2021

Nice ??


Sathvik namaji

May 10, 2021

Very super and easy I also want to make this andi love DC motor


Sathvik namaji

May 10, 2021

Submit much more viedoes about dc motor


Testimonials

Join 100+MN Registered BYJU'S Users

Book Your Free Class Now

Thank you!

Your details have been submitted
successfully.