ECON 40423 U.S. Economic History II: The Rise of Modernity John Lovett
Study questions for the “Gifts of the Gods Lectures”
Readings: Misa. “The Dominance of Rails”, pp 5-14 of A Nation of Steel: The Making of Modern America, 1865 – 1935. 1999.
1. What is coked coal? How is it made?
2. What product did Abraham Darby I produce using coked coal?
3. What is charcoal? How is it made?
4. _____ The first American factories were powered primarily by: a. wood fired steam engines d. wind power g. slave power b. coal fired steam engines e. animal power c. oil fired steam engines f. water power
5. _____ The first American factories were typically producing: a. cast iron d. textiles g. bread b. steel e. pottery h. glass c. iron ships f. clocks
6. ______Which method for making steel blew air through a “bottle” containing molten metal? a. the Aston process e. the Chauncer “spin the bottle” process b. the Bessemer process f. the Crucible process c. the blaufen, or “blue furnace”, process g. the Siemens open hearth process d. the Catalan process h. the Waloon process
7. ______What did blowing the air through the molten metal do in the above (# 6) process? a. The air cooled the metal so that it annealed (hardened) enough to be useful for tool making. b. Oxygen in the air reacted with sulfur in the coal or iron ore with the resulting reacting producing enough heat to melt the iron out of the ore. c. The air formed bubbles in the molten metal resulting in a lattice or “honeycomb” metal structure that was both strong and lightweight. d. Oxygen in the air reacted with the carbon in the molten metal thereby removing carbon.
8. _____ Roughly when did the above (# 6) method come into existence? a. around 1450 e. about 1825 b. late 1590’s f. late 1850’s c. early 1700’s (ex. 1707) g. around 1890 d. around 1765 h. late 1920’s
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Econ 40423 U.S. Economic History II: The Rise of Modernity John Lovett
9. _____ What product did the above (# 6) method make? a. aluminium e. coke b. bronze f. Coke Zero c. cast iron g. steel d. charcoal h. wtrought iron
10. ______What is the main thing differentiating steel from wrought iron and cast iron? a. There is no real difference. “Iron” is an English name and “Steel” is an American name for the same thing. b. Steel is a mixture of iron and nickel. Iron is … iron. c. Wrought iron is iron with very little carbon. Cast iron is iron with a significant carbon content. Steel has a carbon content between the two. d. “Iron” is a mixture of the element iron (Fe) and copper. “Steel” is a purer mixture of the element iron (Fe).
11. Categorize the following ferrous based metals. Characteristic Cast Iron Wrought Iron Steel Most brittle (1 = most brittle, 3 = least brittle) Has the Most Carbon (1 = most carbon, 3 = least)
12. Which of the following are made in a Blast furnace? Check () any and all that apply. You may (or may not) need to use more than one check. ____ alunimium ____ coke ____ bronze ____ pig iron ____ cast iron ____ steel ____ charcoal ____ wrought iron
13. ______It is 1869 and a U.S. factory is making steel. Which process is this factory likely using? i.e. By which process was the most steel produced in 1869? a. the Aston process e. the Chauncer “spin the bottle” process b. the Bessemer process f. the Crucible process c. the blaufen, or “blue furnace”, process g. the Siemens open hearth process d. the Catalan process h. the Waloon process
14. ______It is 1909 and a U.S. factory is making steel. Which process is this factory likely using? i.e. By which process was the most steel produced in 1909? a. the Aston process e. the Chauncer “spin the bottle” process b. the Bessemer process f. the Crucible process c. the blaufen, or “blue furnace”, process g. the Siemens open hearth process d. the Catalan process h. the Waloon process
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Econ 40423 U.S. Economic History II: The Rise of Modernity John Lovett
15. Hans is living in the year 1770. He wants to have a firm making ferrous (iron-based) metals. Hans wants his firm to be just barely large enough to have the lowest production costs per unit technology will allow. Frans is living in the year 1870. He wants to have a firm making ferrous (iron-based) metals. Hans wants his firm to be just barely large enough to have the lowest production costs per unit technology will allow. Who will likely the have the larger firm?
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