Motors and Generators

What you know:

1. Magnetic force can produce motion. For example, magnets move together or apart when they are close.

2. An electric current in a wire produces a magnetic field. So, a magnet can move a wire with a current, just as it would move another magnet

The ability to move an object over a distance is called energy.

Energy can be transformed from one form into another

When a wire with a current is placed in a magnetic field, electrical energy is transformed into mechanical energy

An electric motor is a device that uses an electric current to turn an axle

An electric motor transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy that is used to do work

Examples of electric motors occur in many household items such as washing machines and blenders

An electric generator is a device that transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy

A generator uses motion in a magnetic field to produce current

Most of the electrical energy we use comes from generators