Creating Simple Motors

Today I found a few Youtube clips that illustrate simple motors students can construct:

This first video illustrates a classic design and does a nice job of explaining how it works:



This second choice provides a twist on the classic design:



And a third intriguing version:



Essential Questions:

1. What key elements must be present for a motor design to function?
2. How can the design be optimized?
3. Explain how each design exploits the same principles.

I will try this with my students this year... and see what they come up with!