Tools and Industry

Electric Machines and Batteries

Motors, power tools, batteries and powered personal devices.

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The History of the Electric Motor: From Early Experimentation to Industrial Production

How the electric motor grew from 1820s laboratory demonstrations by Oersted, Faraday and others into the reliable industrial machine that drives modern factories.

5 min read

The Discovery of the Lithium-Ion Battery: A Powerful and Efficient Power Source

How lithium-ion batteries emerged from 1970s lithium research through the work of Whittingham, Goodenough and Yoshino to the first commercial cell in 1991.

4 min read

The History of the Electric Drill: A Power Tool Innovation

From 1889 rock drills and the 1895 German portable drill to the pistol grip and cordless models, a history of how the electric drill reached trades and home workshops.

4 min read

The Invention of the Electric Toothbrush: A Convenient Oral Care Solution

A product history of the electric toothbrush, from motor-driven models of the 1950s to rechargeable cordless designs and the sonic brushes of the 1990s.

4 min read

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