My Cart
Your Shopping Cart is currently empty. Use Quick Order or Search to quickly add items to your order!
Product Highlights
Product Details
In this activity, students investigate how electric motors use electric and magnetic interactions to convert electrical energy to kinetic energy and address the engineering problem, “What changes can be made to make a simple motor spin faster?” Design teams are guided to build and test a simple electromagnetic motor prototype using copper wire, enameled wire, D-cell batteries, and ring magnets. During the Design Challenge, teams brainstorm ways that the motor design can be modified to generate the most revolutions per minute of the wire coil. Design teams build a new motor to improve the motor’s performance, incorporating their brainstorming ideas. They enter their engineered motors into a classroom competition, which can be scored using the Design Challenge Scoring Rubric.
Time Requirement
Teacher prep, 45 minutes. Research & Prototype, 90 minutes. Design Challenge, 60 minutes. Assessment, 30 minutes. Presentations, 60 minutes.
Digital Resources
Includes 1-year access to digital resources that support 3-dimensional instruction for NGSS. Digital resources may include a teacher manual and student guide, pre-lab activities and setup videos, phenomenon videos, simulations, and post-lab analysis and assessments.
Performance Expectations
HS-PS2-5
HS-PS3-3
Crosscutting Concepts
Cause and Effect
Disciplinary Core Ideas
PS2.B: Types of Interactions
Science and Engineering Practices
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Learning Objectives
Prior Knowledge and Skills
Prior knowledge of magnets, magnetic fields, electromagnets, electric motors, and energy transformations are useful.
WARNING: Neodymium magnets have a very strong magnetic field. Use with caution. Seek immediate medical attention if magnet is swallowed.
If for any reason you are not satisfied with this item, it is eligible for a return, exchange, refund, or credit up to 180 days from date of purchase. Restrictions may apply. Returns & Exchanges Policy.