MOTOR EFFECT.

a) Force on charged particles

A charged particle moving in a magnetic field experiences
a force as long as its motion is not parallel to the
magnetic field.

This overlaps with the one due to the permanent magnet

that runs from north to south.

This positively charged particle experiences a vertically

upward force deflecting it upwards as shown.
A negatively charged particle will experience a force in the
opposite direction as shown below.
On one side of the conductor the two magnetic fields are
in the same direction where they reinforce each other
forming a strong magnetic field. On the other side where
the fields are in the opposite direction the magnetic fields
cancel each other forming a weak magnetic field as shown
below.

Since current involves the flow of charges on conductors,

a current carrying conductor in a magnetic field will
experience a force. This is called the motor effect.

The conductor will experience a force pushing it from the

stronger side of the field to the side with the weaker field.

c) The direction of the force.

This can be determined by the use of Fleming’s left hand
rule.
‘ If you place the thumb, first and the second
fingers of the left hand mutually at right angles to
each other, the 1st finger pointing in the direction
b) Discussion.
of the magnetic field, 2nd finger in the direction of
When current flows through the conductor it creates a
the current then the thumb will point in the
cylindrical magnetic field around it as shown below.
direction of the force.’
  Using stronger magnets
 Make the conductor into coil and increasing the
number of turns.

e) Applications.
1. Moving coil loudspeaker.
It uses motor effect to change electrical energy into sound
energy.
Signals from a source, such as an amplifier are fed into the
coil of the speaker as currents that are continually
changing in size and direction. This creates a changing
magnetic field that overlaps the field due to the
permanent magnet. This creates a rapidly varying force on
Exercise. the coil that makes the speaker cone to vibrate producing
Determine the direction of the force on the following sound.
conductors.
i)
Wire

Magnetic field into

the page
ii)

Magnetic field out

of the page
iii)

iv)

2. D.C. Electric motor.

It is a device that transforms electrical energy to kinetic
d) The size of the force in a conductor carrying current in energy. It is used to run most machines that use
a magnetic field. electricity.
It can be increased by: Its main structure is as shown in the diagram below. One
 increasing the amount of current side of the loop experiences a force upwards while the
other downwards therefore the loop rotates.
However when it reaches the vertical position, the split
ring swap the brushes making the current to flow in the
opposite direction in the coil. This makes the coil to rotate
continuously. The split ring also called commutator makes
the current to change in direction every half a cycle.
The rate at which the motor rotates can be increased by:
i) Increasing the amount of current in the coil.
ii) Using stronger magnets
iii) Increasing the number of turns of the coil.
Practical motors differ from the one above by:
i) The permanent magnets are replaced by curved
electromagnet capable of producing strong
magnetic fields.
ii) The single loop is replaced with several coils of
wire wrapped on the same axis making the motor
more powerful and able to run smoothly
iii) The coils are wrapped on a laminated soft iron
core making the motor more efficient and
powerful.