How AC FOX Works

Manufacturers -- whether they make corn ethanol fuel, biodiesel fuel, pancake syrup or even frozen pizza -- produce waste and polluted water. Now there's a completely new process called Activated Carbon Facilitated Oxidation, or AC FOX that can handle water that is polluted with organic material. Learn all about AC FOX.

How Blackouts Work

Just like every major blackout, the August 14th power failure raised a lot of questions about our power distribution system. Find out how any number of events can turn out the lights for millions of people.

How Circuits Work

Have you ever wondered what happens when you flip a switch to turn something on? You're completing an electric circuit, allowing a current, or flow of electrons, through the wires.

How do facilities store hazardous waste?

Hazardous waste disposal is an ongoing struggle that's monitored by the EPA. How is meant to be disposed of, and what happens when something goes wrong?

How Gasoline Works

Without gasoline, the world as we know it would grind to a screeching halt. The U.S. alone consumes well over a hundred billion gallons of gasoline per year. Learn all about this vital fuel.

How Hydropower Plants Work

The basic idea isn't new, but the process of modern hydropower conversion is high-tech. Today's hydropower plants are some of the coolest machines ever constructed. Find out how rushing water generates power.

How Oil Drilling Works

Bubblin' crude. Black gold. Texas tea. Whatever you call it, oil is a valuable commodity. Finding and extracting it is a fascinating process. Find out all about modern oil exploration and drilling.

How Oil Refining Works

A recent fire at a New York oil refinery pumped clouds of black smoke into the city skyline. Despite the dangers, oil refineries are essential to society in its current form. Learn how crude oil is converted into everything from butane to gasoline.

How Plasma Converters Work

In "Back to the Future," Doc Brown throws garbage into Mr. Fusion, powering his time machine. We might be closer than you think to generating electricity for our homes using trash Find out how plasma waste converters work.

How Power Grids Work

Last week's massive power failure illustrated a major problem inherent in the standard electricity distribution system. Learn all about the technology at the heart of this story.

How Solar Cells Work

Solar cells use sunlight to produce electricity. But what happens on a cloudy day? Learn all about solar cells and what it would take to power your entire house with solar energy.

Inside a Power-Cube Transformer

You've probably never noticed how many of these you use everyday, but HowStuffWorks took the time to count them and take them apart to see what's inside!

What are amps, watts, volts and ohms?

OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, volts measure the potential for energy to travel and ohms measure the resistance to the electrical flow, but then what are amps and watts?

What's a beer battery?

Scientists working with Foster's Brewing Company have made a fuel cell using bacteria and the brewery's waste water. They claim that their fuel cell generates non-polluting power as it cleanses the water. But is the "beer battery" simply a novelty?

How can water cut through steel?

How can water cut through steel? A device called a waterjet uses extreme force to cut through all sorts of things.