Solenoids are everywhere. They open the water valve in your dishwasher, control the flow of gas in your stove, regulate ink delivery in printers, and play a crucial role under the hood of your car.

You hop in your Dodge diesel and turn the key only to be greeted with a click-click sound, instead of the more familiar whirring of your starter motor. Something is wrong. You somehow knew that the ...

In general, a solenoid uses electromagnetic force to move a plunger, thereby converting electric energy into mechanical motion. (“Electromagnetic” means it’s only a magnet when electricity is applied.