The+St.+Louis+Motor

The St. Louis Motor is an open DC-operated motor with all the parts visible and adjustable. There are a few different types of St. Louis motor available. Ours is from Arbor Scientific, and is made to be operated at a potential of 6 volts continuously or up to 8V for short periods of time.


 * To Setup:**
 * 1) Adjust the metal brushes (the contacts that touch the rotor) so that they are gently touching the copper contacts on the rotor.
 * 2) Slide the two permanent magnets into the slots on either side of the rotor.
 * 3) Wire **three** D-Cell batteries (3x1.5V = 4.5V) and a switch in series. You can use the components of the Magnetism and Electricity kit for this.
 * Note: you can get the motor to work with as few as one battery, but only if it is aligned just right. Start with three batteries.
 * More than 5 batteries is not recommended, as the motor is not rated for more than 8 volts. (5 x 1.5 volts = 7.5 volts).
 * 1) Wire the battery/switch assembly (with the switch OPEN) to the posts on top of the motor.


 * To Run:**
 * 1) Turn the rotor so that it is perpendicular to the magnets.
 * 2) Close the switch. The motor should begin to spin.
 * 3) If the motor does not spin, or spins only slowly, troubleshoot by adjusting the components.


 * Sample Investigations:**
 * 1) How does the number of batteries affect the speed of the motor?
 * 2) How does the wiring of the batteries (series vs. parallel) affect the motor?
 * 3) Can you get the motor to spin in the opposite direction?