Practice Question

1.Describe what the motor effect is. 

The motor effect occurs when a current carrying wire is placed into a magnetic field and the wire experiences a force and tries to move. 

2. State two factors that affect the size of the force, experienced by the wire

Magnetic field strength

Size of current

3. A motor effect experiment is carried out using a direct current and then with an alternating current. Describe what you would see. 

When a direct current is used, a constant magnetic field in one direction is created, so the wire experiences a single force in just one direction. So, wire moves in one direction only.

When an alternating current is used, a changing magnetic field is created, so the wire will exerience a force that is constantly changing direction. As a result the wire moves forwards and backwards.