How does a car engine work animation

The basics

A car engine is a machine that converts the chemical energy in gasoline into mechanical energy that can be used to power the car’s wheels. The engine is made up of a number of different parts, including the cylinders, pistons, crankshaft, and camshaft. The cylinders are where the gasoline is burned, and the pistons are what move up and down to convert the energy of the burning gasoline into mechanical energy. The crankshaft converts the up-and-down motion of the pistons into rotary motion, which is then used to power the car’s wheels.

The four-stroke cycle

The four-stroke cycle is the process by which the engine converts the chemical energy in gasoline into mechanical energy. The four strokes are:

1. Intake stroke: The intake valve opens, and the piston moves down, drawing a mixture of air and fuel into the cylinder.
2. Compression stroke: The intake valve closes, and the piston moves up, compressing the air and fuel mixture.
3. Power stroke: The spark plug ignites the air and fuel mixture, causing it to burn. The expanding gases push the piston down, creating mechanical energy.
4. Exhaust stroke: The exhaust valve opens, and the piston moves up, pushing the exhaust gases out of the cylinder.

Animation

The following animation shows how the four-stroke cycle works: