History of the steam engine

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/history-of-the-steam-engine

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the earliest steam device?The aeolipile, a 1st-century AD steam-powered rotor, demonstrated basic steam propulsion principles
2. What is the modern power generation?Steam turbines remain the dominant technology for driving electrical generators globally
3. What is a steam engine?A steam engine is a machine that uses hot steam to move parts and do work, like pumping water or turning wheels.
4. How does a steam engine make things move?Steam is put into a cylinder, then cooled so it condenses and creates a vacuum; the air pressure pushes the piston down, turning the machine.

Reciprocating Engine: An engine where a piston moves back and forth within a cylinder.
Separate Condenser: Watt's invention that cooled steam in a separate chamber, vastly improving engine efficiency.
Steam Turbine: A device where steam spins blades to generate rotational power, used extensively in power plants.