Steam Power in the Cotton Mill

In the picture

1. 1Steam engine and flywheel: turns the heat of steam into a steady spinning motion
2. 2Coal and firebox: burning coal boils the water that makes the steam
3. 3Overhead shaft and leather belts: carry the engine’s power to every machine in the room
4. 4Spinning machines: spin cotton into thread on many bobbins at once

Examples

• The cotton T-shirt you wear was spun and woven by machines, not by hand at home.
• A bicycle chain carries power from the pedals to the wheel, much as mill belts carried power from the engine to the machines.

Quiz: Steam Power in the Cotton Mill (Age 13)

1. 1

   Why could factories with steam engines be built far away from rivers?

   • Coal-burning steam engines gave them power without needing flowing water
   • Workers turned the machines by hand, so water was no longer needed
   • Their spinning machines were light enough to need no power at all
2. 2

   In a steam-powered mill, what job does the burning coal do?

   • It warms the cotton so it is easier to spin
   • It boils water to make the steam that drives the engine
   • It heats the room so the workers can work through the winter
3. 3

   How did steam-powered mills change where people worked?

   • Spinning moved from homes into factories, and many people moved to towns to work there
   • People left the towns to work in mills built out in the countryside
   • More families began spinning thread at home with their own small machines

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.