Changing the way you learn

Steam Engine

Background of the Invention: by Smrithi
1. Before the invention of the steam engine, the most common method of powering factories was with water wheels, harnessing the power of moving water. In order for this to be possible, factories had to be located near major rivers. However, with the growing number and size of factories, this was not a large and stable enough source of power. With the steam engine, they were able to power these factories, and people could build them anywhere.
2. The power of steam was discovered by the Greeks long before the industrial revolution, but had never been put to use on a large scale until the steam engine.
3. The first crude steam engine was built by a British man named Thomas Savery in 1698. It was created to pump water out of coal mines, however, it was far from perfect. It was so simple, it had no moving parts, and it needed a lot of coal just to pump out a small amount of water. However, it was the first recorded use of steam power.
  1. Later, Thomas Newcomen wanted to improve Savery's steam engine. He did this by creating a movable piston that pumped water easily. However, neither he nor Savery wanted their machines to do anything other than pumping water out of coal mines.
    1. James Watt, a Scottish engineer, then improved even more on Newcomen's design in 1763. He found a way to make the piston push back and forth, turning a wheel. He didn't know it, but he had made the first railroad locomotive.
Impact on Society: by Laasya
1. One of the many impacts of the steam engine was easier trade. With the steam engine enabling boats and trading devices, they could travel any direction in a river or ocean. Due to this, the traders did not need to look for a specific time in which the currents of the water are not to strong or going the wrong direction to help them export their goods.
2. Another reason is transportation. Transportation was immensely impacted by the steam engine. Like trade, the steam engine helped boats and other transportation devices go upstream or downstream at any desired time. It helped tourists and other citizens get around quickly and efficiently.
3. This also made communication easier. For instance, if someone needed to speak to their relative in person urgently, they would not need to wait weeks for a boat to find way to make it to that city, because with the steam engine, they can just go on a boat within hours or minutes due to the boat having the ability to travel upstream.
4. Another reason why the steam engine is a great invention is that it fueled the factories in the Industrial Revolution. Before the steam engine, factories had to be situated near water to have proper energy, since there was no steam powered gadgets. The steam engine made factories more efficient and reliable.
Essential Question: by Suzy
Important Details: by Megan
1. The steam engine powered the steam locomotive, the steamboat, and factories.
2. The earliest version of the steam engine was made in 1690 by Dennis Papin. Water is placed in a cylinder over a hear source. The steam forces a piston upward. The heat source was removed, causing the piston to move downward. This is what produced energy.
3. Another version of the steam engine was invented in 1712 by Thomas Newcomen and John Calley. In this version of the steam engine, steam was created in a boiler. The steam went into a cylinder directly above the boiler. A piston was pulled to the top of the cylinder not by the steam, but by a weight. However, water is put into the cylinder, condensing the steam. This allows the piston to fall back.
4. Noticing that Newcomen's engine didn't use fuel efficiently, he created a new engine in 1765. His design saved 75% of the fuel that would have been used on the Newcomen engine.

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Steam Engine

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	Created by Smrithi Upadhyay almost 10 years ago