What were James watt accomplishments?

Answer 1

The Steam Engine

• James Watt is perhaps best known for his work on the steam engine. Watt's background in mechanical engineering meant that he was able to find the faults in existing steam-powered engines; namely, that they were losing too much energy and as a result were far too inefficient. Financially backed by Matthew Boulton, owner of the Soho Foundry, he was able to translate his designs into a workable prototype. The Boulton and Watt partnership lasted for another 25 years.

The Copying Machine

• In 1779 James Watt began to develop a mechanism which would allow pages of writing and drawings to be copied exactly onto another sheet. At the time, the only available device was incredibly heavy, inaccurate and difficult to use. Watt proposed a method of directly transferring ink from one sheet to the other, using an intermediary piece of tracing paper. The idea was patented in 1780 and continued to be used extensively up until the turn of the 20th century.

Textile Bleaching

• Along with mechanical projects, Watt also attempted to work with chemicals. He discovered that chlorine could be produced by mixing manganese dioxide with salt, then adding sulfuric acid --- the addition of sulfuric acid meant that the formula was cheaper than using the previously tested hydrochloric acid. He worked with his father-in-law, who was a bleacher by trade, to use the chlorine mixture to bleach large quantities of textiles.

His Legacy

• Watt's legacy is extensive. His name is now synonymous with the steam engine, the design of which his ideas were integral in perfecting. His inventive thinking was, however, incredibly versatile, and he branched out into a number of other areas of industrial design. He was made a fellow of the Royal Society, a prestigious British science organization, and had a unit of power named after him. His designs undoubtedly paved the way for the onset of the Industrial Revolution.

Answer 2

James Watt was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer. He is best known for his work in deveoping the Steam Engine. Contrary to popular belief he did not invent it. People had already been experimenting with using steam to power engines. His genius was taking the model and making it work.