The Physiology of the Motor

The Physiology of the Motor:
How does it work?

When a wire that carries current is placed in a region of space that has a
magnetic field, the wire experiences a force.
• The size of the force, which determines how fast the motor spins, depends on :
o the amount of current in the wire
o the length of the wire
o the strength of the magnetic field
• The direction of the force, which determines which direction the motor spins,
depends on:
o the direction of the current in the wire
o the direction of the magnetic field
The Right Hand Rule is used to determine the direction of the
force when the direction of the current and the direction of the

magnetic field are known.