Ask An Engineer
Ask an Engineer is an MIT initiative to answer engineering’s most persistent questions, from the everyday to the highly complex.
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#142
Which engine is better at high altitude: diesel or gasoline?
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#140
What is a short circuit?
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#135
Why can’t fusion energy solve the global energy crisis?
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#131
Is there a way to harness electricity from lightning?
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#130
How do birds sit on high-voltage power lines without getting electrocuted?
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#126
Can we use heat generated from an air conditioner or refrigerator?
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#117
What’s the difference between AC and DC?
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#88
Is it possible to collect energy from a moving roller coaster?
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#84
Why can’t magnetism be used as a source of energy?
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#83
How does a battery work?
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#77
Can we calculate the efficiency of a natural photosynthesis process?
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#70
Could we use exercise machines as energy sources?
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#68
Can sound be converted to useful energy?
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#62
Is it possible to construct a perpetual motion machine?
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#43
What’s the difference between fuel efficiency and fuel economy?
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#39
Is it possible to collect energy from foot traffic?
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#37
How many wind turbines would it take to power all of New York City?
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#36
Which is more likely to happen first: solar panels on every home, or giant solar power plants?
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#35
Can traditional gasoline-powered cars be converted to run on hydrogen fuel cells?
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#34
Why do the products of a nuclear fission reaction in uranium have three neutrons but not three protons?
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#24
What happens to electricity when nothing is plugged into an outlet?
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#17
How can solar cells become cost-effective enough to be commercially viable?
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#10
What is the energy of gasoline compared to the same cost of other fuels in BTUs per dollar?
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#1
What is “clean” coal?
