The invention of the steam engine was at the center of the Industrial
Revolution. It converted the chemical energy stored in wood and coal, which
were plentiful, into mechanical work. The steam engine was invented to
solve the urgent problem of pumping water out of coal mines. As improved
by James Watt, it was soon used to move coal, drive manufacturing machinery,
and power locomotives, ships, and even the first automobiles.
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Nature of Science (grades 9-12): Historical Perspectives.
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