Internal Combustion Engine — Questions and answers

Read the full story

What did Nikolaus Otto call the steam engine because of its size and need for resources?

Choices

  1. A heavy anchor ✓
  2. A swift sailboat
  3. A tiny toy
  4. A gentle breeze

Answer: A heavy anchor

From page 1

What big problem did Étienne Lenoir's early internal combustion engine have?

Choices

  1. It was too quiet.
  2. It didn't compress the fuel and air before burning it. ✓
  3. It used only gunpowder.
  4. It was too small to be useful.

Answer: It didn't compress the fuel and air before burning it.

From page 2

What new and important step did Nikolaus Otto add to his engine design to make it more powerful?

Choices

  1. Adding an extra exhaust pipe.
  2. Drawing beautiful sketches.
  3. Compressing the fuel and air mixture before it ignites. ✓
  4. Making the engine completely silent.

Answer: Compressing the fuel and air mixture before it ignites.

From page 3

What was a big challenge for Otto and Langen when building the new engine?

Choices

  1. Finding enough paper to draw their plans.
  2. Making sure the valves opened and closed at the exact right time. ✓
  3. Deciding who would clean the workshop.
  4. Making the engine float on water.

Answer: Making sure the valves opened and closed at the exact right time.

From page 4

What happens right after the fuel and air mixture is squeezed tightly (compressed) in Otto's engine?

Choices

  1. The spent gases are pushed out.
  2. The piston goes back up to draw in more fuel.
  3. A spark ignites the mixture, pushing the piston down with force. ✓
  4. The engine stops working.

Answer: A spark ignites the mixture, pushing the piston down with force.

From page 5

What is the job of the carburetor in an internal combustion engine?

Choices

  1. To make a loud noise when the engine runs.
  2. To mix liquid fuel with air to create a good burning mixture. ✓
  3. To push out the old gases from the engine.
  4. To cool down the engine when it gets too hot.

Answer: To mix liquid fuel with air to create a good burning mixture.

From page 7

How did Otto's engine help factories and workshops before it was used in cars?

Choices

  1. It made them need more large steam boilers.
  2. It allowed them to have powerful machines without needing big boilers or lots of plumbing. ✓
  3. It made them rely only on animal power.
  4. It made their goods travel faster across the ocean.

Answer: It allowed them to have powerful machines without needing big boilers or lots of plumbing.

From page 8

Which two inventors made Otto's engine lighter and faster to use in motorcycles and the first automobiles?

Choices

  1. Nikolaus Otto and Eugen Langen.
  2. Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz. ✓
  3. Christiaan Huygens and Étienne Lenoir.
  4. Wilhelm Maybach and Leonardo da Vinci.

Answer: Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz.

From page 9

How did the internal combustion engine change the modern world?

Choices

  1. It made people stop using machines.
  2. It made steam engines the main source of power for everything.
  3. It helped factories grow, cities get bigger, and people travel much more easily. ✓
  4. It replaced all forms of transportation with horses and carriages.

Answer: It helped factories grow, cities get bigger, and people travel much more easily.

From page 10