Bend Science Station

By Cody (grade 8)

The Black Butte School upper grades class went to the Bend Science Station on Friday, November 5. We went to learn about how to make a motor and a little bit about how electricity works. On the way there we got to talk about how we thought motors worked. When we got there, we met up with a guy named Dan who was going to teach us for the day.

The first thing we did was talk about magnets and how they work in motors and what types there are. The permanent magnet in a motor helps make the motor spin when the two different types of magnets are pushing against each other. Next we were told about how an electric motor works. An electric motor works by having a solenoid that then has power sent through it, then the electricity can make a circuit that makes the solenoid turn into an electromagnet.

We then went on to make our own motors. We made a type of motor called a brushed motor. A brushed motor is a type of motor that gets its power directly from the power source. It uses two brushes that rub against the armature. What we first did was work on bending some copper into a shape to work as brushes. Then we put the brushes that we made into a wood block with pre-drilled holes to act as a base. Next we worked on getting a D-size battery hooked up to the brushes. We last got an armature and permanent magnet to finish it off. This works by having the electromagnet and the permanent magnet push against each other. Athan said,“ I think it was fun, and everyone had a great time.” Last thing we did when we got back was teach what we did to the younger kids.