This the first Mission as part of the Robotics: Fabrication and Programming Course Curriculum. DC Motors are everywhere, and students take for granted their importance. Inside those DC motors are electromagnets which are vital for the proper function of the DC motors. This mission is a great beginning project for any level of electricity or electronics course. There are a good deal of activities within the mission content preparation but none more important than the electrical safety lessons. Also included are the Snap Circuit activities within the quick launch and the mission content. I use the Snap Circuit model SC 300 but you can use the SC 100 kit as well at 31TUhttp://omnitronelectronics.netU31T . Snap Circuits is a great educational tool in teaching about electronics and circuits because they are quick and fun to use. I use a great kit for this mission which can be found at IASCO-TESCO. It’s the DC motor #202 kit (photo below), there are other similar DC motors kits but not as effective. I start out all kit constructions with the students reviewing the parts list and ensuring they have every part in their kits. This serves two purposes – students must identify each part and must confirm they are starting with all the needed parts. Refer to the kit instructions in constructions but here are some tips:
• Sand the ends of the copper wire that connect to the brass pieces very well (this is the most common mistake that will lead to the motor not functioning properly)
• Another common mistake is not alternating the permanent magnets ex. Aligning the permanent magnets as North – North instead of North – South
• Make sure the students wrap the copper wire properly as show on the image in the instructions
• Be careful attaching the fan piece it is always a tight fit
• If the motor does not spin, feel the brass brushes if they are hot then the wires are getting power from the battery and the copper wire is probably not connected to the armature properly.
• If the kit does not work, the students can always start from step 1 and evaluate

Extended learning: Students can wire two DC motors together or students can double the amount of turns of copper wire around the armature to observe how it affects the motor’s performance.