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Building a Simple Motor with a Battery, Magnet, and Wire
A spinning coil powered by nothing but a battery and a magnet is one of those moments that makes electromagnetism click. This building a simple motor lab sheet walks your student through every step, from shaping the coil to that first satisfying spin.
Electromagnetic force goes from abstract to visible the moment a copper coil starts rotating above a disc magnet. The building a simple motor lab sheet guides grades 4 to 7 students through five numbered steps, asking them to shape a rectangular coil from 24 to 30 gauge copper wire, strip the commutator ends with sandpaper, and mount the whole assembly on two unfolded paperclips taped to an AA battery. The How It Works panel explains how the commutator reverses current each half turn, giving students the vocabulary to connect what they see to the physics behind it.
This lab works well as a standalone introduction to electromagnetism or as a capstone activity inside a unit study on electricity and circuits. The observations section asks your student what happened when they flicked the coil, which direction it spins, and what variables they could change to alter the speed. The conclusion prompt, asking them to explain in their own words how their simple motor works, gives you a clear window into whether the concept landed.
Copper wire, two paperclips, and one AA battery: this building a simple motor lab sheet guides grades 4-7 homeschoolers through electromagnetic force.
Investigating the Building a Simple Motor Lab Sheet
Usage Notes
Copper wire in 24 to 30 gauge is the one specialty supply here, though hobby and craft stores carry it inexpensively in small spools. Everything else, one AA battery, two paperclips, tape, and optionally a metal file, is already in most homes. The sheet flags that strong magnets should be kept away from pacemakers and electronic storage devices, a safety note worth reading aloud before your student starts.
Printing Tips
A 28-pound or 32-pound paper will hold up to writing while the experiment is running and won’t buckle if the sheet sits near a slightly damp work surface. Slip it into a plastic page protector inside a science lab notebook so the procedure panel stays readable while your student works through all five steps.