What determines the direction of rotation of...

🔍 Key Concepts

• Rotating magnetic field produced by the stator of an AC induction motor • Rotor currents induced by the rotating magnetic field (no brushes in a standard squirrel‑cage induction motor) • Relationship between the direction of the stator’s rotating field and the mechanical rotation of the rotor

💭 Think About

• Think about what actually makes the rotor turn in an AC induction motor: is it pushed by, pulled by, or opposed by the stator’s rotating magnetic field? • Which motor type actually uses brushes, and are they relevant to a typical AC induction (squirrel‑cage) motor? • Ask yourself: if you swap any two supply phases on a three‑phase induction motor, what happens to the direction of the rotating magnetic field, and what then happens to the rotor?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify that a standard AC induction motor does not rely on brushes for normal operation, so any answer focused on brush staggering may be suspect. • Confirm whether the rotor tends to follow or oppose the direction of the stator’s rotating magnetic field in order to develop torque. • Check that the number of poles affects synchronous speed (rpm), not the fundamental direction of rotation for a given phase sequence.

What determines the direction of rotation of an AC induction motor?

direction of rotation is opposite of the direction of the rotating field

the direction of the staggering of the brushes

direction of rotation is the same as the direction of the rotating magnetic field

the number of poles being even or odd

🔍 Key Concepts

💭 Think About

✅ Before You Answer