How are different kinds of machines powered?
Machines are powered by different kinds of fuel, including oil (which includes gasoline and diesel fuels), ethanol, and electricity. Our world runs on electrical power, and much of that power comes from coal. How have different kinds of carbon-based technologies affected human societies? Carbon-based technologies have vastly improved our lives. Labor once performed by humans is now carried out by machines. Harnessing electricity provided safe, bright light —and energy. Steam engines powered trains and boats, and oil-based power cars and planes move us comfortably around the world. Electronic devices, including personal computers and mobile phones, have transformed the way we work and communicate.