Steam Engines
Definition
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. It was a key invention during the Industrial Revolution that helped to mechanize many forms of labor and transportation.
Analogy
Think of a steam engine like your school's cafeteria. The boiler (kitchen) heats water (food) until it turns into steam (ready-to-eat meals). This steam then moves through pipes (cafeteria lines), pushing pistons (students) to do work, such as turning wheels on a train or machinery in a factory.
Related terms
Industrial Revolution: A period from the 18th to 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions starting in the United Kingdom, then subsequently spreading throughout Europe, North America, and eventually the world.
Mechanization: The process of changing from working largely or exclusively by hand or with animals to doing that work with machinery. In an early engineering text, it is defined as the application of machines to tasks once performed by human beings or animals.
Locomotive: A rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying passengers or freight itself it is usually referred to simply as an "engine".
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