How does a car engine work?

 

A car engine works by converting fuel into mechanical energy, which powers the vehicle. Here is a simplified explanation of how it works:

1. Intake Stroke: The engine's piston moves downward, creating a vacuum that draws in a mixture of air and fuel through the intake valve.

2. Compression Stroke: The piston moves back up, compressing the air-fuel mixture. This increases its pressure and temperature, making it more combustible.

3. Combustion Stroke: When the piston reaches the top, a spark plug ignites the compressed air-fuel mixture. This causes a controlled explosion, generating a rapid expansion of gases. The force of the explosion pushes the piston back down.

4. Exhaust Stroke: As the piston moves up again, it pushes the exhaust gases out through the exhaust valve.

5. Repeat: The process is repeated in a continuous cycle, with each piston in the engine firing at different times to maintain a smooth and continuous rotation of the crankshaft.

The mechanical energy produced by the engine's pistons is transferred to the crankshaft, which converts the linear motion of the pistons into rotational motion. This rotational motion is then transmitted to the wheels of the car through a transmission system, allowing the vehicle to move forward or backward.