Motor Effect - GCSE Physics Definition

The motor effect is a basic principle in physics that explains how electric motors work. It happens when a current-carrying wire, which is a wire with electric current flowing through it, is placed in a magnetic field. This causes a force to act on the wire, making it move. The direction of this force can be figured out using Fleming's left-hand rule, where the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger represent the movement, magnetic field, and current, respectively. The motor effect is important because it's used in many devices, like fans and washing machines, which convert electrical energy into motion to do work.