Post: The piston is a power source

The internal combustion engine in a car gets its energy by burning gasoline or diesel. The gas produced when the fuel is burned at high temperatures is used to drive the piston, which then transfers the energy to the wheels. The piston is essentially a thick metal plate that compresses the gas in the cylinder. The diameter of the plate is the same as the width of the cylinder so that air or fuel does not escape from the side. It completes a cycle, starting at the top of the cylinder, opening the valve and filling the cylinder with air and fuel. The piston is then forced downward to compress the mixture of air and fuel. It is important to compress the mixture before igniting, as this makes the explosion more powerful and uses the fuel more efficiently. The spark plug then creates a spark that ignites the fuel and causes an explosion. The force of the explosion pushes the piston and the exhaust valve opens, allowing the burning fuel and smoke to leave the cylinder. As the piston moves up and down, the top of the connecting rod moves up and down. The bottom of the connecting rod is not fixed, so it can move in a circle rather than a linear motion. This circular motion will be used to turn the wheel. This process is repeated over and over again at high speed throughout the engine start.