Beakman Motor

Noah and I made this little motor the other day after he had impressed me by taking apart the dyno-generator flashlight that had broken, repairing the switch and then described in rudimentary terms how the magnet was creating electricity when the device was shaken. We talked about electromagnets and the reciprocal relationship between generators and motors. Then we hit on the idea of searching the internet for a simple model of a motor. This one fit the bill perfectly, and the amazing thing was that we had all the supplies on hand at home thanks to Chuck's packrat tendencies in the shop. It uses half a metre of magnet wire, a ceramic magnet, a battery, two large paper clips and two metal shelf clips (the type pushed into pre-drilled holes in wooden bookcases with adjustable shelves). Very cool. Instructions here.