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How to Make a Double Heart-Shaped Homopolar Motor: The Valentine's Day Gift of Science!

Hand creating a heart shape with copper wire around a battery.

Homopolar motors tend to be typecast as simplistic in nature, and that's true for the most part. The bare minimum requirements are a battery, conductor, and magnetic field, but when it comes to Valentine's Day, they're nothing short of complex.

At least, when it comes to the heart you put into it.

So, for all of you science and tech nerds out there with significant others, this is your Valentine's Day gift for February 14th. With all the thought and effort discharged from that deep down place you normally keep hidden, that emotional side that only gets in the way of your next great scientific feat, how could your loved one not enjoy this heart-shaped gift of homopolar rotation?

Wire sculpture of a heart shape against a green background.

The flat heart-shaped wire is the most basic conductor for homopolar motors. The heart-shaped wire with legs is slightly more complex. But put them together into one spinning body and you have the perfect Valentine's gift.

What's that old saying? Two hearts are better than one?

Only on Valentine's Day.

For the complete instructions, check out the full tutorial on Instructables by mrfixit.

PS: A neodymium magnet can also be used, instead of the bass speaker and coins.

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