Unit 5: Topic 5 - Technology of the Industrial Age

Question 1

Spinning Jenny

Answer 1

This machine played an important role in the mechanization of textile production.
Like the spinning wheel, it may be operated by a treadle or by hand. But, unlike the
spinning wheel, it can spin more than one yarn at a time. The idea for multiple-yarn
spinning was conceived about 1764 by James Hargreaves, an English weaver. In
1770, he patented a machine that could spin 16 yarns at a time.

Question 2

Cotton Gin

Answer 2

Invented by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin was a machine that easily separated seeds from short-staple cotton, which greatly increased cotton production and revolutionized the cotton industry while also increased dependence on enslaved labor.

Question 3

Steam Boat

Answer 3

Pioneered by James Watt, the steam boat is a boat that is propelled by steam power, instead of having to rely on the old process of waiting for wind drafts to sail. The development of this technology greatly boosted trade, as rivers could be accessed from either way the current flowed. Trade in all industrialized nations increased as well as travel or immigration.

Question 4

Bessemer Process

Answer 4

The Bessemer Process was a more efficient and inexpensive way to mass produce steel. It involves blasting the molten metal with air to remove impurities and to keep the metal melted. It allowed for a certain company in Germany, ran by Alfred Krupp, to hold a monopoly over steel production. The use of the Bessemer Process allowed for steel to become the backbone of the industrial society.

Question 5

Radio

Answer 5

A device that uses radio waves in order to communicate across long distances of land or water. It became a device used for mass media after its development and refinement by Italian physicist Gugliemo Marconi in the early 1900’s. Its impact was on another level compared to any other form of media’s.

Question 6

Internal Combustion Engine

Answer 6

An invention developed in the late 19th century that was similar to the steam engine, as it used pistons in order to turn cranks inside its mechanism. However, unlike the steam engine, it was not powered by steam but rather by ignited gasoline. Because gasoline was quickly gaining prevalence and popularity, this mechanism was becoming more widely adopted.

Question 7

Assembly Line

Answer 7

An arrangement of factory workers that implements the specialization and division of labor in order to increase productivity of factories. It was developed in the early 20th century by Henry Ford so workers in his Model T car factory could quickly finish a task they specialized in and move the rest of the car to the next specialist.

Question 8

Electricity

Answer 8

Though electrical power had already been discovered, the mass use of electricity required an effective and reliable electrical generator. In 1882, a public power station was established in London. This led to electric lamps and street trains. Electricity was also the main power source behind many communication devices that were widespread across the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its impact was felt worldwide and today is still a main source of power for many.

Question 9

James Watt

Answer 9

Scottish engineer and inventor whose improvements in the steam engine led to its wide use in industry (1736-1819)

Question 10

Michael Faraday

Answer 10

An English electromagnetism scientist who was mainly self-taught. His diiscovery of electric induction in 1831 resulted in the development of electric motors. Not only that, but his work also revolutionized later electromagnetism studies and the development of physics. This discovery of electricity and motors allowed for the mass use of new technologies that relied on electricity.

Question 11

Charles Goodyear

Answer 11

Charles Goodyear was a self-taught chemist and manufacturing engineer. He was the inventor of the vulcanization process, which resulted in stable rubber production.This vulcanized rubber was pliable, waterproof, and moldable and played a large role in industrialization.

Question 12

Thomas Edison

Answer 12

An American inventor and businessman. He was the developer of the new and improved telephone after Alexander G. Bell’s version. Edison’s improved telephone has a much more refined voice transmitter and made telephone use more practical. He is also accredited with the early development of the lightbulb and a lot more in the field of electricity.

Question 13

Henry Ford

Answer 13

A pioneer in the efficiency of factories. He was one who would expand the concept of division of labor and
develop the assembly line in the process.

Question 14

J.Hargreaves

Answer 14

English inventor of the Spinning Jenny in1768, which allowed spinners to produce yarn in larger quantities. Hargreaves developed the spinning jenny in response the shortage of yard created by the invention of the flying shuttle which made it easier to weave faster on a loom. His inventions dominated the textile industry.

Question 15

Eli Whitney

Answer 15

A mechanical genius who invented the cotton gin, which was machine that separated
the cotton from the seed, as well as interchangeable parts which streamlined the
manufacturing process and played a pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution as well
as economic dependence on slave labor.

Question 16

Henry Bessemer

Answer 16

The inventor of the Bessemer Process. His creation, or technique, allowed for the Industrial Revolution to proceed quickly. WIthout the extremely efficient production of steel, machines and products could easily be produced. Steel was the backbone of all industries.

Question 17

Samuel Morse

Answer 17

The inventor of the telegraph in 1837. It could send pulses of electricity in a combination of long and short bursts along electrical wires at great distance. This allowed for the development of code or cryptography in the form of Morse Code.

Question 18

Alexander G. Bell

Answer 18

Patent holder of the telephone, which transmitted sound/voices by electrical means. His invention differed from Morse’s telegraph. Bell’s patent was awarded in 1876.

Question 19

Gugliemo Marconi

Answer 19

An Italian physicist who experimented with the development of the radio. He sent an received a radio signal across the Atlantic Ocean in 1901 and then further developed the radio. After testing and refining, the radio had become a form of popular mass media with an impact unlike any previously seen.