"The introduction of the new method of making steel has completely revolutionized the metal trades. Steel, which was formerly a luxury, produced in small quantities by the costly crucible process, is now manufactured by the hundreds of tons in a single operation. This has not only reduced the cost of railway construction but has also enabled the building of larger steamships and stronger bridges."
— Scientific American, 1875
Based on the passage and your knowledge of world history, which of the following best explains how the technology described in the source differed from the technological innovations of the First Industrial Revolution?
- AIt was driven by the invention of the steam engine, which was the defining power source of the late nineteenth-century Second Industrial Revolution.
- BIt depended on the development of synthetic chemicals and petroleum refinement, which were first utilized to power factories during the mid-eighteenth century.
- It utilized steel as a primary structural material, whereas the First Industrial Revolution relied heavily on coal, steam power, and iron.Answer
- DIt relied on electricity and internal combustion engines to automate the production of textiles, replacing coal-powered mills in the early twentieth century.
Answer
The process described utilized steel as a primary structural material, whereas the First Industrial Revolution relied heavily on coal, steam power, and iron.
The correct answer accurately identifies that the mass production of steel was a key development of the Second Industrial Revolution, contrasting it with the First Industrial Revolution's reliance on coal, steam, and iron.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Distinguishing the technologies of the First and Second Industrial Revolutions
Estimated Time:1m 30s