A linear motor is provided. The linear motor includes a first member including a plurality of armature modules each comprising a magnetic core, a plurality of salient poles, and coils, where the coils are wound around a portion or all of the salient poles or the magnetic core between the salient poles; and a second member including one or more permanent magnet modules each including a plurality of permanent magnets each projected toward the magnetic core to be arranged between two salient poles of the armature module, where poles of the permanent magnets are alternated in a moving direction of the linear motor. Power is supplied to the coil of each armature module such that a thrust according to a traveling magnet fie is generated by using as one unit an S number of armature modules and a P number of permanent magnets arranged in the moving direction.