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I read that when charge flows through a wire there is no north or south. So I assume the armature has no north or south, so depending on which direction charge is flowing through the armature windings will determine by the right hand rule the direction of motion.

The stator, however, does seem to have a direction of magnetic flux flowing across the stator from north to south.

Is the motion due to the attractive and repelling force of magnetic fields?

And if so, how can we account for this when there is supposedly no north/south direction from charge flowing through a wire? I am making the big assumption here that the armature is nothing more than a fat wire.

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    \$\begingroup\$ yes it's due to attractive and repulsive magnetic forces. There is a north and south direction. Maybe you are confused because the magnetic field around a wire goes in a circle, so if you keep going north, you end up where you started \$\endgroup\$
    – Criticizing Israel not allowed
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 20:05

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The stator however does seem to have a direction of magnetic flux flowing across the stator from north to south.

Magnetic flux doesn't actually 'flow' anywhere. The arrows on the flux lines just show the direction of the magnetic force vector. And there isn't really a 'north' and 'south' pole either. The flux lines don't start at the north pole and go to the south pole, they go in a continuous circle through the stator and around it.

You can get the same action by simply placing two wires next to each other and passing a current through both. Each wire generates a circular magnetic field around itself. The interaction between the magnetic fields in the wires causes them to be attracted to each other if the current is in the same direction, or repelled if it is opposite.

That action still occurs when the wires are wound into coils around the armature and stator arms, except that the path of the magnetic field is modified by the geometry of the motor. It is also the same when one side (stator or rotor) is made from permanent magnets, only in this case the magnet has many electrons moving in tiny loops that create the same effect.

So the answer is yes, the motion is due to the attractive and repelling force of magnetic fields.

Force between two parallel current carrying wires enter image description here

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  • \$\begingroup\$ ...thank you for the wonderful link. Beginning to make sense to me now. \$\endgroup\$
    – Sedumjoy
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 23:19

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