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Unexplained Phenomenon Version 2.0 - Homopolar Motor

video Unexplained Phenomenon Version 2.0 - Homopolar Motor

Millions watched my demonstration titled Unexplained Phenomenon -- Simplest Electric Motor. Thousands tried to explain what was going on. Most got it wrong. This video demonstrates another version of the motor. This one has 4 parts, rather than 3, but it is easier to build. If you thought you could explain version 1 you may have to rethink your explanation after seeing version 2.

6 comments

Dec 10, 2010. 6:41 PM

fishinigami says:

its actually pretty well understood...
also, if you leave that running too long you might get a hole in your battery (and stuff leaks everywhere, not fun...)

Jun 24, 2011. 7:24 AMacs1207 says:

Well , the battery will go dead long before it happens .

Apr 29, 2011. 8:12 AMcarmaster says:

Is it something to do with the magnetic field generated which peels off the threads in such a way that repels the screw in that direction from the magnets field?

Dec 10, 2010. 7:47 PMmtdna says:

A bunch of you are complaining that the guy thinks there is no explanation. Don't be daft. He says right in the description, "Most got it wrong," trying to explain his first video. That implies, "Some got it right." As in, there is an explanation, and he knows what it is. In fact, the whole point of the second video is to provide a hint. It makes the phenomenon easier to visualize and solve on your own.

Since this two-step logic is eluding a few people here, I'll make an analogy. Just as the solution to a Sherlock Holmes story remains a mystery to other people even after you yourself have read it, the explanation for this phenomenon remains a mystery to other people even after you yourself read about it in your engineering textbook.

The underlying principle is, it is fun to be presented with something as a mystery for you to solve, even if others have solved it before.

Admit it - the guy put together a couple of nice demos.

101

Dec 10, 2010. 3:41 PM

killerjackalope says:

It isn't unexplained... Also I've cleared your keywords, you didn't separate them properly and a large portion of them were unrelated to the instructable.

Dec 10, 2010. 12:33 PM

AndyGadget says:

Which part is unexplained? The way a current-carrying wire interacts with a magnetic field to produce a moment of force has been understood since the early 1800's when Michael Faraday demonstrated it.