Simplest electric motor

[fly258]

Is this http://nonk.nonk.info/pages2/motor.php for real?
I've tried to copy it with no success. Any ideas?

[mibn2cweus]

The part the battery is standing on must be a commutator that determines which half of the wire the current flows through as it rotates. A bar magnet (not shown) must be positioned underneath producing a magnetic field in which the magnetic field induced by current flowing through the wire reacts. Although it may be possible I doubt that the Earth's magnetic field is strong enough to provide the required attractive/repulsive force (especially since the current would be flowing in the opposite direction in the upper section of the wire). Battery life must be minimal with this simple motor.

[boink]

I think the silver part the battery is sitting on is actually a magnet mib

[mibn2cweus]

boink, Evidently you are right about the magnet. This motor is simpler than I imagined, although getting it to work may be a little tricky.

Here�s another simple motor that operates using the same principle along with an explanation, (scroll half way down the page)