Which of the following happens in a steam engine?
a. fuel is burned outside the engine.
b. heat is converted into work.
c. hot steam pushes a piston.
d. all of the above

The correct answer is " Hot steam pushes a piston".

Explanation:

A steam engine is known as heat engine. The heat is taken from hot steam. It converts some of the heat into work and rest it rejects in the colder surroundings.

In the steam engine, the force produced by the steam which is used to push the piston. Here, the steam does the mechanical work on the piston. The piston does the mechanical work on the machinery attached to it.

Therefore, Hot steam pushes a piston in a steam engine.

Option (D) is correct. In a steam engine, the fuel is burnt outside the steam engine and then this heat is converted to work by means of the piston.

Explanation:

The steam engine is considered to be the biggest technological advancement in the history of mankind. The steam engine makes the use of the coal as a fuel and this fuel is burnt outside of the steam engine.

The fuel burnt is used to produce the steam by means of heating the water. The huge power of the steam is then used to move the pistons of the steam engine and this results in the motion of the engine.

The power of the steam is in the form of the heat energy contained by it. As the steam moves the piston up and down, some amount of work is done by the steam. Therefore, there is a conversion of the heat into the work.

Therefore, the processes occurring in a steam engine involve all the above mentioned process of fuel being burned outside, heat converted to work and the steam pushing the piston.

Thus, Option (D) is correct. In a steam engine, the fuel is burnt outside the steam engine and then this heat is converted to work by means of the piston.

Learn More:

1.  Conservation of energy link

2.  The stress developed in a wire link  

3. The motion of a body under friction link

Answer Details:

Grade: High School

Subject: Physics

Topic: Steam Engine

Keywords:

fuel, steam, engine, burned, coal, outside, heat, converted, work, piston, power, energy, hot steam, discovered.

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