A) Electric motor
The electric motor consists of rectangular loop of copper wire having resistive coating. As shown in the figure, it is placed between the north pole and south pole of a magnet (such as a horse shoe magnet) in such a way that its branches AB and CD are perpendicular to the direction of magnetic field. The two ends of the loop are connected to the two halves (X and Y) of the split ring. The two halves of the ring have resistive coating on their inner surfaces and are tightly fitted on the axle. The two halves of the split ring, X and Y, have their outer conducting surfaces in contact with the two stationary carbon brushes, (E and F), respectively. When the circuit is completed as shown in the figure, the current flows in the branch AB of the loop from A to B through the carbon brushes E and F. Since the direction of the magnetic field is from north pole to south pole, according to the Fleming’s left hand rule, a force is exerted on the branch AB and pushes it down. The current in the CD branch is in a opposite direction to that in the AB branch, and therefore, a force is exerted on the branch CD in upward direction. Thus, the loop and the axle start rotating in an anticlockwise direction. After half rotation, the two halves of the split ring X and Y come in contact with carbon brushes F and E, respectively, and the current in a loop starts flowing in the direction DCBA. Therefore, a force is exerted on the branch DC in downward direction and on the branch BA in the upward direction, and the loop continues to rotate in the anticlockwise direction. Thus, the current in the loop is reversed after each half rotation and the loop and the axle continue to rotate in the anticlockwise direction .
B) Electric Generator (AC)
According to Fleming’s right hand rule, electric current is produced in the branches AB and CD in the direction. A B and C D. Thus, the current flows in the direction A B C D (as shown by arrows in the figure). In the external circuit, the current flows from B2 to B1 through the galvanometer. If instead of one loop coil, a coil consisting of several turns is used, the current of magnitude several times flows. After half rotation, the branch AB takes the place of branch CD and the branch CD takes the position of the branch AB. Therefore, the induced current goes as D C B A . But, the branch BA is always in contact with the brush B1 and branch DC in the contact with B2 . Hence, in the external circuit current flows from B1 to B2 i.e. opposite to the previous half rotation. This repeats after every half rotation and alternating current is produced. This is what is called an AC generator .
