› #3 of 30 · Power
Electric motor / generator
Motion and electricity, one device
Comes after #2 Combustion engine
Build the real thing
DIY
Magnet, copper wire, nail, battery
Wind copper wire around a nail and connect a battery to make an electromagnet, then build a simple coil motor with a magnet. Spin a small motor by hand and it works the other way, as a generator.
- Cost
- $ · Under $25
- Time
- One session
- Screens
- No screen needed
For the grown-up
The wire and battery get hot fast, so connect them only while testing. Use ordinary alkaline batteries, never a lithium pack, and keep strong magnets away from small children.
Build it in bricks
Brick build comingPalm-size
Step-by-step brick booklets land one model at a time, starting with the Starter Five.
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