Motors & the Motor Effect
CONCEPTUALExplain the motor effect as the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field, and describe how this principle is used in electric motors and loudspeakers
Mastery Evidence
- Explains that a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field experiences a force (the motor effect)
- Predicts how reversing the current or reversing the magnetic field affects the direction of the force
- Describes how the motor effect is applied in an electric motor and in a loudspeaker
Assessment Prompt
“If [child] looked inside an electric motor or the back of a loudspeaker, could they explain why the coil of wire moves — and what would happen to the movement if you reversed the direction of the current?”
Curriculum Standards1 alignment
MS-PS2-5Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Middle Schoolcodes onlyPrerequisites1
- ElectromagnetshardAges 12—13
Show full prerequisite tree
- Electromagnets hard
The motor effect (force on a current in a field) is an application of electromagnetism — requires knowledge of both magnetic fields and current-produced fields
- Current, voltage, and what they measure hard
The magnetic effect of a current requires understanding what an electric current is and how it flows
- Circuit vocabulary hard
Understanding current as charge flow and voltage as energy per charge requires these exact technical terms
- Drawing circuits with proper symbols hard
Understanding current and voltage as quantities requires the ability to read circuit diagrams with standard symbols, established at KS2
- Why circuit components behave differently soft
Understanding component variations supports interpreting and drawing circuit diagrams
- Circuit vocabulary hard
Comparing circuit component function requires component vocabulary: bulb, buzzer, switch, resistance
- More batteries, brighter bulb hard
Must understand voltage-brightness relationship before comparing component variations
- Will the bulb light up? hard
Must understand complete loops before understanding how switches open/close them
- Circuit vocabulary hard
Associating brightness with voltage requires 'voltage', 'current', and 'series circuit' vocabulary
- How energy travels around soft
Energy transfer concept supports understanding voltage as energy per charge
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
- Naming types of energy hard
Describing energy transfer by sound, light, heat, and electric current requires energy type vocabulary
- Building a simple circuit hard
Must know circuits before understanding energy transfer by electric current
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Understanding vibrating materials and sound requires 'vibration' vocabulary
- Communication with Light & Sound hard
Must understand how sound works before designing a communication device using it
- Light & Seeing in the Dark hard
Must understand how light works before designing a communication device using it
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
- More batteries, brighter bulb hard
Must understand circuit behaviour before representing circuits with formal symbols
- Will the bulb light up? hard
Must understand complete loops before understanding how switches open/close them
- Circuit vocabulary hard
Associating brightness with voltage requires 'voltage', 'current', and 'series circuit' vocabulary
- How energy travels around soft
Energy transfer concept supports understanding voltage as energy per charge
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
- Naming types of energy hard
Describing energy transfer by sound, light, heat, and electric current requires energy type vocabulary
- Building a simple circuit hard
Must know circuits before understanding energy transfer by electric current
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Understanding vibrating materials and sound requires 'vibration' vocabulary
- Communication with Light & Sound hard
Must understand how sound works before designing a communication device using it
- Light & Seeing in the Dark hard
Must understand how light works before designing a communication device using it
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
- More batteries, brighter bulb hard
KS2 observation that more cells gives brighter bulbs is the empirical foundation for defining voltage as energy per charge
- Will the bulb light up? hard
Must understand complete loops before understanding how switches open/close them
- Circuit vocabulary hard
Associating brightness with voltage requires 'voltage', 'current', and 'series circuit' vocabulary
- How energy travels around soft
Energy transfer concept supports understanding voltage as energy per charge
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
- Naming types of energy hard
Describing energy transfer by sound, light, heat, and electric current requires energy type vocabulary
- Building a simple circuit hard
Must know circuits before understanding energy transfer by electric current
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Understanding vibrating materials and sound requires 'vibration' vocabulary
- Communication with Light & Sound hard
Must understand how sound works before designing a communication device using it
- Light & Seeing in the Dark hard
Must understand how light works before designing a communication device using it
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
- Magnetic Fields hard
Electromagnetism requires prior understanding of magnetic field lines and field direction — established in the magnetic fields topic
- Magnetic Poles hard
KS3 magnetic field lines and Earth's magnetism extends KS2 magnetic poles, attraction and repulsion
- Contact & Non-Contact Forces hard
Must know about non-contact forces before investigating magnetic attraction/repulsion
- Drawing Force Diagrams soft
Distinguishing contact and non-contact forces is clarified by drawing force diagrams showing where arrows originate
- Friction & Surfaces hard
Must experience contact forces like friction before distinguishing contact vs non-contact forces
- Pushes & Pulls hard
Must understand forces change motion before comparing movement on different surfaces
- Drawing Force Diagrams soft
Understanding pushes and pulls as forces is supported by the arrow representation of magnitude and direction
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