INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES

Four Stroke engines are the most common

Four Stroke engine example photo

As you might've guessed, four stroke engines have four stages. Intake, compression, power, and exhaust. In summary: "Intake" references the intake of air and fuel into a cylinder of the engine. "Compression" happens when that air and fuel mixture is compressed into a smaller area. The "Power" stroke is when the spark plug ignites the area where the air and fuel mixture is present, causing combustion. The "Exhaust" stage is when the exhaust valve opens to expell the spent air/fuel mixture.

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by Hayley Davis