At the Krupp works in Essen, Germany, during the late nineteenth century, older iron-working processes were rapidly replaced. New steel-making converters and open-hearth furnaces dominated the landscape. Overhead cranes, powered by electrical dynamos, moved heavy steel girders across the factory floor, while electric lighting illuminated the workshops for night shifts. The massive quantities of steel produced here were used to construct railway networks, modern naval vessels, and municipal infrastructure.
Based on the passage and your knowledge of world history, which of the following best explains how the technological innovations of the Second Industrial Revolution differed from those of the First Industrial Revolution?
- AThe Second Industrial Revolution relied primarily on coal-fired steam engines, whereas the First Industrial Revolution was driven by the integration of electricity and synthetic chemicals into textile mills in the mid-eighteenth century.
- BThe Second Industrial Revolution focused on traditional handloom weaving, whereas the First Industrial Revolution was centered on petroleum refining and internal combustion engines.
- The Second Industrial Revolution was characterized by the dominance of steel, electricity, and chemicals, whereas the First Industrial Revolution relied on coal, steam power, and textiles.Answer
- DThe Second Industrial Revolution depended on the expansion of canal networks and charcoal-fueled iron smelting, whereas the First Industrial Revolution introduced electrical grids and steel production.
Answer
The Second Industrial Revolution was characterized by the dominance of steel, electricity, and chemicals, whereas the First Industrial Revolution relied on coal, steam power, and textiles.
The correct answer accurately states that the Second Industrial Revolution was characterized by the dominance of steel, electricity, and chemicals, while the First Industrial Revolution relied on coal, steam power, and textiles. The passage highlights the transition to Bessemer converters and electric lighting in the late nineteenth century, which are signature innovations of the second phase.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Distinguishing between the technologies of the First and Second Industrial Revolutions
Estimated Time:1m 0s