This key facts covers The DC Motor within The Motor Effect for GCSE Physics. Revise The Motor Effect in Magnetism for GCSE Physics with 18 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 4 of 13 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 4 of 13
Practice
18 questions
Recall
12 flashcards
🔄 The DC Motor
Components:
- Coil — carries current, experiences force
- Magnets — provide magnetic field
- Split-ring commutator — reverses current every half turn
- Brushes — connect power supply to spinning coil
Why the commutator is essential:
- Without it, coil would rotate 180° then stop (or oscillate)
- Commutator reverses current direction every half turn
- This keeps the force pushing in the same rotational direction
- Result: continuous rotation
To make motor spin faster:
- Increase current
- Use stronger magnets
- Add more turns to the coil