Pair of Hearts Homopolar Motor

Step 7 Final Tweaking And Trouble-Shooting

1.) Using The Homopolar Motor With A Bass Speaker:

I used a 10 inch speaker. I used 7 magnetic Canadian pennies as a commutator for best magnetic effect. Other conductive coins may work too.

Place the stack of coins in the very centre of the back of the speaker, with the speaker face-down on a table or floor. Place the fully-charged AA battery on top of the coin stack.

Put the single flat heart onto the + terminal of the battery. It should go around.

Then try the two-legged Heart.
Adjust the legs so that there is a loose gap between the legs and the coins.



2). Using The Homopolar Motor With A Neodymium Magnet:

Place the fully-charged AA battery on top of the neo magnet. Then put the first flat Heart shape on to the battery + terminal. The Heart should start spinning as soon as it makes contact with the magnet.

If it doesn't spin, then it is not making contact, or the battery is too weak, or the magnet is not big enough.

Try the second Heart (with legs). It should spin right away, but sometimes may need a push to get it started. Adjust the legs so they nearly touch the sides of the magnet or pennies.

If both the legs touch the commutator at once then they are too tight, and the Heart will not rotate. If the legs are too loose around the magnet or coins, the Heart will tend to fly off.

Finally, place the flat Heart, inverted, on top of the second legged Heart. The shapes may have to be altered slightly to mate with each other. Give that combo a spin!

Balance is critical for successfully making the combined shapes spin at speed!