Motor madness
Make a magnetic motor
This KS3 activity sheet to make a magnetic motor was developed with the support and participation of the School of Engineering at Cardiff University and covers KS3 magnetism.
An electromagnetic field creates a force on charges. One of the most important practical applications of magnetic fields is electric motors. These are devices that use an electromagnet and convert electrical work into mechanical work, in the form of rotary motion. Electric motors and electromagnets are used in a huge variety of applications.
Activity info, teachers’ notes and curriculum links
This activity provides an engaging practical lesson where students make a magnetic motor from everyday items. This develops understanding of how electric motors function and how electromagnetism can be used in practical applications.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Download the free activity sheet below!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students' and your schools' needs.
And please do share your classroom learning highlights with us @IETeducation
Available Downloads
Related resources
We’re upgrading our systems, and this includes changes to our customer and member account log in, MyIET. It’s part of our big picture plan to deliver a great experience for you and our wider engineering community.
Whilst most of our websites remain available for browsing, it will not be possible to log in to purchase products or access services from Thursday, 17 April to Wednesday, 30 April 2025. Our Member Relations team is here to help and for many of our services, including processing payments or orders, we’ll be able to support you over the phone on +44 (0)1438 765678 or email via membership@theiet.org.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.
For further information related to specific products and services, please visit our FAQs webpage.