AQA · Physics · 8463

GCSE Physics: Electric motors

Magnetism and electromagnetism · AQA GCSE Physics (8463), specification point 4.7.2.3. Cards are generated from the exam board's own specification for "Electric motors", and every card links back to the page it came from. Higher tier only. Specification © AQA — used with attribution.

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  1. What happens to a coil of wire carrying a current when it is placed in a magnetic field?

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    It tends to rotate.

  2. A coil of wire carrying a current in a magnetic field tends to ?.

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    rotate

  3. What is the basic principle behind an electric motor?

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    A current-carrying coil in a magnetic field experiences a force that makes it rotate (the motor effect).

  4. Which force causes the coil of an electric motor to rotate?

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    The force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field (the motor effect).

  5. Why do the two sides of a motor coil experience forces in opposite directions?

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    The current flows in opposite directions on the two sides of the coil, so the motor-effect force on each side is reversed.

  6. How do opposite forces on the two sides of a coil produce rotation in a motor?

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    One side is pushed up and the other down, creating a turning effect that rotates the coil about its axis.

  7. What two conditions are needed for a coil of wire to experience a turning force?

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    The coil must carry a current and be in a magnetic field.

  8. Name a device whose operation is based on a current-carrying coil rotating in a magnetic field.

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    An electric motor.

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