an automotive alternator including a rotor having a plurality of poles ; a plurality of phases in operable communication with the plurality of poles ; and a stator core in operable communication with the rotor , the stator having a number of slots defined by : s = + + n ) where s = number of slots p = number of poles ph = number of phases m = a whole integer greater than or equal to 0 n = a whole integer selected from a group of integers ranging from , and including , 1 through the number of phases minus 1 . a method for reducing magnetic noise in an automotive alternator includes selecting a number of poles , selecting a number of phases , selecting a number of stator core slots , the foregoing selections interacting in the automotive alternator to produce an order of frequency of a tangential force different than any multiple of the number of phases and different than an order of frequency of a radial force of the alternator .