A commutator is a rotary switch in electric motors and generators that periodically reverses the current direction between the rotor and external circuit. It ensures unidirectional torque in DC machines by switching the current as the rotor turns.
Rotor: The rotating part of an electrical machine, which interacts with the magnetic field to produce motion or electricity.
Brushes: Conductive materials, often made from carbon, that maintain electrical contact with moving components like the commutator.
Torque: \(Force \times Distance\) resulting in rotational motion; critical for evaluating performance in motors.