The Catapult

Force
“The Motor
Effect”
4th Form Physics
 The Catapult Force
(The Motor Effect)
• In 1821 Michael Faraday found a
way of producing motion from
electricity.
• If a wire carrying an current was
placed in a magnetic field a force
was produced on the wire
• The combined effects of the
magnetic fields of the wire and the
magnets produced this force.
The Magnetic Fields Interaction
Combined Filed?
John Ambrose Fleming

Fleming’s Left Hand

Rule
• The First Finger = Magnetic Field
• SeCond finger = Current direction
• The Thumb = Thrust/caTapult Force
 The Catapult Force
•   Force on the CCC depends on
The
1. The size of the current,
2. The strength of the magnetic field,
3. The length of the conductor,
4. The angle between the conductor
and the field lines,
Predicting The Direction of The Force
The direction of the
force changes if
1. The direction of
current flow
changes
2. The direction of the
magnetic field
changes
Determine the Magnetic Force on the
conductor shown below.
Magnetic field lines into the paper
I X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X I
N S
X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X
Determine the Magnetic Force on the
conductor shown below.
N

N S
I

I S
The d.c. Motor

Parts of the d.c. motor

• Brushes: connects coils to the d.c. supply
• Split Commutators (Split ring commutator): rectifies current in coils
• Armature: coil of wires wounded on soft iron core
Rotation cycle and rectification of currents in
coils of a d.c. motor
The d.c. motor
d.c Motor vs. a.c.
motor

• d.c. motors require a split commutator to rectify the current in the coils
and keep the current turning in one direction
• a.c. motors use a slip ring commutator since the direction of the current
alternates.
Uses of the Catapult Force
• Speakers
Speaker Coils in a Magnetic Field
Moving Coil Analog Meters