Introduction: 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.
7 Comments
12 years ago on Introduction
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.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
That may be a VERY high level description, but it glosses over the fact that this motor works completely differently than any other motor out there. The moment of force is at a right angle to the magnetic field, not pushing directly away. Michael Faraday did demonstrate this, but he never explained it in any satisfactory way. All other electric motors work on a different principle.
I have seen some explinations for the effect, they normally use relativity and lots of heavy math. I would love to get it clear in my mind also, but it isn't a simple problem to explain.
12 years ago on Introduction
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...)
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Well , the battery will go dead long before it happens .
12 years ago on Introduction
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?
12 years ago on Introduction
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.
12 years ago on Introduction
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.