Watt 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/watt-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 inventor?James Watt
2. What is the primary innovation?Introduction of a separate condenser to improve thermal efficiency
3. Why was the Watt steam engine better than earlier engines?It kept the main cylinder hot and used a separate condenser, so it used less fuel and worked faster.
4. How did the Watt steam engine help factories?It gave factories a steady power source that didn't need water, so factories could be built anywhere and make more goods.

Atmospheric Engine: An early type of steam engine that used atmospheric pressure to move a piston.
Reciprocating Motion: Movement back and forth in a straight line, like that of a piston.
Rotary Motion: Movement in a circular direction, like that of a spinning wheel or shaft.
Thermodynamics: The branch of physics that deals with heat and its relation to other forms of energy and work.