If you've ever played with magnets, you know that they are polarized, with a positive and a negative side. The attraction between opposite poles and the repulsion of similar poles can easily be felt, even with relatively weak magnets. A DC motor uses these properties to convert electricity into motion. As the magnets within the DC motor attract and repel one another, themotor turns.
A DC motor requires at least one electromagnet. This electromagnet switches the current flow as the motor turns, changing its polarity to keep the motor running. The other magnet or magnets can either be permanent magnets or other electromagnets. Often, the electromagnet is located in the center of the motor and turns within the permanent magnets, but this arrangement is not necessary.
History and background | At the most basic level, electric motors exist to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. This is done by way of two interacting magnetic fields -- one stationary, and another attached to a part that can move. A number of types of electric motors exist, but most BEAMbots use DC motors1 in some form or another. DC motors have the potential for very high torque capabilities (although this is generally a function of the physical size of the motor), are easy to miniaturize, and can be "throttled" via adjusting their supply voltage. DC motors are also not only the simplest, but the oldest electric motors.The basic principles of electromagnetic induction were discovered in the early 1800's by Oersted, Gauss, and Faraday. By 1820, Hans Christian Oersted and Andre Marie Ampere had