Powering the Motor

Now that the linear motor has been constructed, you will need to ensure that it works properly. The first activity explores how to power and manipulate the linear motor to make things move.

Guiding Questions:

  • What happens when a battery is connected to the motor?
  • What happens when the polarity of the battery is reversed?

Step 1

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For this lab, you will need to following materials: linear motor, banana cables (or alligator cables), and a 9V battery.

Step 2

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To power the motor, you will need to connect the banana cables to the motor, and then connect the cables to the terminals on the battery. Be sure to pay attention to the orientation of the cables to the battery terminals.

The battery has a negative and positive terminal. To start, connect the red cable to the positive terminal, and the black cable to the negative terminal.

What direction does the motor move?

Step 3

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Now, flip the orientation of the cables. The red cable should be attached to the negative battery terminal, and the black cable to the positive battery terminal. What direction does the motor move? How does this differ from the previous experiment? What do you think is happening?