Motions of a homopolar motor inside a conducting tube

Abstract

We analyze the physics of a type of homopolar motor comprising an AA battery with two cylindrical neodymium magnets on each end that roll inside a metal cylindrical tube. The motion of the motor results from the interaction between the magnetic field of the magnets and the magnetic field created by the current inside the magnets. We develop a model to describe the dynamics of the system, including the calculation of the terminal velocity of the motor due to eddy currents.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur