Basically an electric motor is a mechanical device that switches electric energy into mechanical energy by passing an electric current through a wire loop contained within a magnetic field. Solenoids are widely used in all motor types from starters to power door locks and is a round coil of wire that's been insulated and used to create a magnetic field in the atmosphere of this current.

Solenoids are a specially designed electromagnet in which a coil of wire is wrapped around a specially shaped core made of steel or iron, it is an integral component in all sizes of motors.

Here's are the basics of how a solenoid operates: when electrical current goes through the loop of wire, a magnetic field builds up around it. A iron or steel path for this force to flow into will greatly increase the strength of the magnetic field. Because magnetic energy attempts to take a specific path, flowing from the center of a coil, out one end, down the sides and then reversing that path. If a steel or iron core, called a solenoid, is shaped to fit this path, it will then direct the flow of magnetism through it.

If gaps are left in the core design, the magnetic flux will flow around the path until it is halted by the resulting breach. The armature of a solenoid will fill the gap; thus, when the current flows through the coil, it will attract this moveable plunger into the gap, thus completing the electrical circuit. This plunger can subsequently be attached to various mechanical parts, which, in turn, will cause them to move in a specific direction. Depending on which end of the armature is connected to the solenoid, a pushing or pulling motion results. Very often, springs are employed to keep the plunger position set to open.

Electromagnetic motors are based on the basic rule of thumb that all current-carrying wire within a magnetic field contains a degree of mechanical force. The larger the motor and the larger the electromagnetic field, the more power is exerted. A row of check valves and solenoid switches can be used to crane motor harness this power in a controlled manner, depending on the direction and force required. The real power behind any motor is controlled by different factors including the amount of turns in the coil, the quantity of current flowing through it, the distance end to end of the coil and the magnetic superiority of the steel or iron used in manufacturing the moveable parts.

To conclude, by applying the basic tenets of electromagnetic knowledge and by modifying the parts to withstand the relevant pressure, all motors, regardless of their size operate on this same scientific principle.