In a squirrel cage rotor, the heavy conducting elements running parallel to the axis are called?

• A. Bars or rods
• B. Coils
• C. Windings
• D. Shaft

Answer: (A)

In a squirrel cage rotor, the conducting paths that run along the length of the rotor, parallel to its axis, are the bars or rods. These bars are embedded in the laminated rotor core and are shorted at the ends by end rings, forming a closed loop that resembles a cage. When the stator’s rotating magnetic field passes by, currents are induced in these bars and circulate around the rotor, creating the torque that drives the machine. This design uses bars or rods, not coils or windings (which belong to wound rotors), and not the shaft (the mechanical component). So the heavy conducting elements along the axis are bars or rods.