Steam locomotive

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

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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/steam-locomotive

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 key technological precursors?Watt's steam engine, development of high-pressure steam generation
2. What is the socioeconomic ramifications?Facilitated mass production, global trade, urbanization, and territorial expansion
3. How does a steam locomotive make the train move?The boiler heats water to create high‑pressure steam. The steam goes into cylinders, pushes pistons, and the pistons turn the driving wheels through rods and a crank.
4. Who built the first steam locomotive?Early pioneers like Richard Trevithick built the first steam train, called Puffing Billy, in 1804. Later, George Stephenson made Locomotion No. 1 in 1825 and the famous Rocket in 1829.

Reciprocating Motion: Movement in which a part moves back and forth in a straight line, such as a piston.
Tractive Effort: The force exerted by a locomotive to pull a train.
Valve Gear: The mechanism that controls the admission and exhaust of steam to and from the locomotive cylinders.