One aspect of motor selection that can get overlooked is motor bearings, and it can have big consequences. Sleeve bearings are most common in residential and light commercial applications because they are less expensive and quieter. They don't have rolling “balls” but rather rely on a thin film of oil on metal sleeves. Sleeve bearings […]

When I teach electrical basics, we do this exercise where we sit down and connect a 10-watt bulb to a power supply and through a switch. It's a SUPER SIMPLE circuit—the kind you might have learned about in a high school science class. But then I grab another 10-watt bulb and tell them to connect […]

John Dalton was an English chemist and physicist born in 1766. He was born into a Quaker family of tradesmen, though he and his brother became teachers early in life. His family bought a Quaker school in Kendal, where he and his brother taught around 60 students.  Dalton separated from the church as a young […]