Pop goes the piston

Everyday millions of people across the world depend on their automobiles. Their daily routine of driving never changes. They get in their car and turn the ignition on. After putting the car in gear, they press on the gas pedal and drive. Most of these people have no idea how their car engine works. They just supply it with gas and expect it to run. Under the hood of a car, there is a whole other world. According to author Lauren S. Bahr of the Collier Encyclopedia, an engine is a machine that converts heat energy into mechanical energy. Bahr says this conversion is caused by a process called internal combustion.

Internal combustion is the heart of an engine, but isn't the only thing that goes on. During an engine cycle the valve train moves oxygen through each cylinder, while the cars ECU, engine control unit, supplies gas at precisely the right time. An internal combustion engine is a very complex power source, which drives people’s cars everyday. According to Marshall Brain of howstuffworks.com, a man by the name of Nikolaus Otto invented the four- stroke combustion cycle, or the otto cycle, in 1867. Brain explained that Otto's basic id

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People just hear all these numbers and slang terms that confuse them. The radiator is located in the front of your vehicle. The lobes are positioned on the cam so that one opens the intake valve and the other opens the exhaust valve. An engine is kept at an operable temperature by a cooling system. When this signal is received, a solenoid inside the injector sprays the cylinder with gas. Oil not only helps the bearings protect the crank, but it also lubricates the whole motor. According to Carl Calvert of Truckin SUV Magazine, the amount of oxygen coming in the engine is read by a MAP sensor, manifold absolute pressure. Calvert then says this sensor relays a message to the car's ECU, which controls the amount of gas that is injected into the cylinder. The ECU sends a signal to an injector at the top of the cylinder. This movement creates a vacuum and sucks oxygen into the cylinder through an opened intake valve. The main ingredient of an engine is gasoline. Antifreeze is a really harmful liquid that won't freeze. At the same time an injector is spraying fuel into the cylinder. This is where the mechanical energy is created. We also learned from Brain that as the camshaft rotates it turns a gear connected to the shaft of the distributor.

Common topics in this essay:
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Approximate Word count = 1289
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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