Henry Fords Invention: How Dependence on Cars Has Changed How We Live - Case Study Example

ALBUHLULI Henry Ford’s Invention: How Dependence on Cars has changed how we Live Introduction In the early nineteenth century, most common means of transport apart from pedestrians walking from place to place were animals such as horses and donkeys, animal-drawn carriages and buggies amongst others. However, through the foresight of one Michigan engineer named Henry Ford, there came to be an invention that could move people from one place to the other and the car would be affordable to those who wanted it. Through his input, on August 12, 1908, his company named after him by the name Ford produced its first car the Model T at a factory in Detroit in Michigan and this pioneered the mass manufacture of vehicles for commercial purposes (Botelho). Six years later after the first car rolled from the factory, through engineering ingenuity and improvements in the assembly line, more automobiles could be manufactured more quickly and in large numbers. Through this important invention in the history of mankind, their movements from place to place have been enhanced thus changing their lives with regard to transportation. Background: Invention and Impact of the Automobile Since the 1700s, engineers from Europe had made strides in coming up with motor powered vehicles which had led them to find out which would be the most preferred mode of powering the cars between steam, combustion or electricity. The disadvantages associated with the use of steam and electricity to power these motor vehicles which came to the fore in the 1800s made these modes to be abandoned altogether. Such problems included the high costs of powering these engines through electricity and battery, the risk of explosion of the boilers in steam-powered engines as well as the difficulty in generating such form of engine power (Flink 11). Combustion engine therefore became the most preferred mode of powering the vehicles by the early inventor such as Henry Ford. The commercial production of automobiles began in France in the year 1890 but much later in the United States in the 1900s who utilized assembly plants which assembled parts made by different but independent suppliers to come up with a complete car. The first automobile that was produced for commercial sale in the United States was the three-horsepower Oldsmobile which was produced between the years 1901 and 1904 before the more significant Ford Motor Company manufactured and sold its first automobile on July 23 (Cabadas 68). The company headed by Henry Ford later produced the Model T which was an economical automobile for the average American on August 12, 1908 which laid the groundwork for the modern day automobile which has had profound impacts to human lives. How an Automobile Works Automobiles work though the incorporation of different technologies but rely most on the workings of the engine and the movements of the tyres. The car engine which carries out controlled explosions powers the car aiding in its movement with the main device being the four strokes of intake, compression, combustion and exhaust. When the strokes are generated continuously but in quick succession, the car is able to generate power required for movement (Sinclair 11). A piston within the engine that has a connection to a shaft that helps the rod to move back and forth when the fuel is taken to which burns to power the automobile for onward movement. When this occurs, air and gas are moved into the engine which is then compressed which when it comes into contact with a spark plug that explodes the gas forcing the piston downwards. At the bottom of this stroke, the exhaust valve opens and the already used gas that emanates from the engine are left to come out of the engine mostly as dark smoke or fumes which in most instances pollutes the environment. Through the recurrent of these four combustion cycles, the engine is powered and the automobile moves either forward or backwards while rolling on the circular tyres. Impact on Life and Society Life and Society before the Invention of the Automobile Before the invention of the automobile, human beings faced serious problems in transport and communication as travel was a serious challenge. The challenge in travelling stemmed from the fact that it would take quite a long time in moving from one point to another as well as those associated with the vagaries of the weather. Transport was mainly through animals such as horses, oxen, donkeys and camels amongst other animals which could convey human beings and their luggage from one point to another (Windelspecht 322). Later, the human beings used bicycles and tricycles but these were more expensive and could only be afforded by the rich or the ruling aristocracy and were less efficient as compared to the automobile invention from the assembly line executed by inventors such as Henry Ford. Life and Society after the Invention of the Automobile When the automobile was invented, it was initially used and purchased by the rich who used it for leisure purposes contrary to what would be it greatest use which is transportation. The automobile later became popular among the population as it was used greatly for travel to places of choice and at their desired time meaning that it brought with it massive convenience. It later became more affordable and was greatly purchased by the middle class especially in the United States and Europe. Part of the reason why it became more affordable and accessible is the fact that Henry Ford made the car affordable and paid his workers handsomely which enabled them purchase the car. The convenience created by the automobiles also allowed the people to migrate into the otherwise unused hinterlands as opposed to staying in cities and urban areas where railway lines could be found. Though the number of those that own automobiles dwindled during the First World War and the Great Depression, it picked after the Second World War as there was again money to spend in the purchases of the automobiles. The automobile therefore created mobility which changed the living habits of human beings as well as their social lives thus making accessibility to almost every place a major possibility as long as it has motor able roads. The life in the cities and urban areas has also been changed drastically as people are settling even far off from the cities as industries and highways also make these places more accessible and habitable. The construction of roads and highways where the automobiles can move on has been a key development which has changed the societies thus connecting different cultures and their way of lives. The opening up of areas due to the availability of automobiles to access the lands has helped in the creation of new jobs such as those that sell food, construction of roads and highways, convenience stores and gas stations amongst other complementary services. Impacts of Automobiles in Modern Society Automobiles today have serious impacts on the modern society in which human beings live in. Increased use of automobiles for transport has enabled the automobiles to act as agents of change within the society while at the same time making the change to occur very fast in the society. Automobiles have solved the problem of isolation of the rural areas through the opening up of these rural areas to increase accessibility through the use of cars or even help in the ringing of the produce to the market in urban areas easily. There has also been increased construction of roads and highways to accommodate the cars which has also led to an array of businesses that line these ways to tap the market created by the motorists. Such included convenience stores along the highways as well as fuelling stations that sell the gasoline that is used to power the vehicles. Most areas within cities, urban areas as well as rural areas have also had to create spaces to accommodate the automobiles such as parking spaces and even the retrofitting of buildings to accommodate automobiles. Benefits and Drawbacks Benefits The invention of automobile has greatly improved the way people travel or move from one place to the other as the cars can be used to carry human and their luggage from one place to another (Schafer 4). Further, automobiles help those that own them to carry out leisure activities as it helps them reach the destinations of leisure as well as their use for leisure activities such as motor racing and safari rally. Automobiles also facilitate the travel of persons without suffering the vagaries of the weather such as downpours, snow falls and excess heat from the sun as was suffered previously when travelling through animals such as horses and donkeys. The automobile has also helped in the creation of employment opportunities in that they need drivers to drive them as seen in those who drive buses belonging to companies, schools and factories. Drawbacks The invention of automobiles has also brought with it setbacks in the society especially in the urban areas and cities which have the highest numbers of cars. The automobiles mostly cause congestion and traffic jams and snarl ups in these urban areas which may be problematic in handling and lead to wastage too. The congestion also brings problems to the cities in terms of having parking spaces and the competition for land to create roads, parking spaces as well as the highways. The congestion that are due to the high number of vehicles also puts a pressure on the need for land to keep in pace with the demands of the traffic which may disadvantage other pressing needs such as recreational facilities. These extra needs also come at a price in that the costs of building new roads and highways is higher and also leads to the destruction of habitats that should be occupied by humans and their habitats. Automobiles and their use also create incidences of pollution to the environment and the depletion of resources which in the long run affects how the humans live sustainably with the environment. It is important to note that automobiles use gasoline to power their combustion engines and when these fuels which include petrol and diesel to power the engine, they emit greenhouse gases which pollute the environment and lead to adverse effects associated with climate change (Calthorpe 30). The long-term effects associated with climate change include incidences of increased global warming, flooding and the rising levels of seas and other water bodies which may lead to the destruction of human lives and the society at large. Relevance to Engineering The invention of automobiles has been relevant to engineering as it has spurred growth in the development, testing, designing and the manufacture of other products associated with the motor vehicle (Domansky 4). Through increased research by using the automobile as the specimen or motivation, engineers have come up with other engineering feats such as airplanes and improved trains which have eased transport and travel. The application of knowledge derived from automobile engineering has also led to improvements of other technologies such as the manufacture of hybrid cars and those that use electricity for power. Engineering derived from motor vehicle design and manufacture has been applied in other machines which use the criteria for combustion to create power for movement of machines for production purposes. Therefore, the invention of automobiles still remain the most important invention that spurred increased research in other areas of engineering such as the making of aircraft, trains and other vessels for transport and travel. Conclusion The invention of the automobile by Henry Ford has revolutionized and had serious impact on the lives of human beings and the society. The car has increased the number of those that join the middle class and thus improving the general welfare of the population as it has eased transportation and travel from one point to another. Increased use of automobiles has also led to the development of other businesses and industries such as the construction of road and highways, outlets selling the gas to power the vehicles as well as other businesses that support the use of automobiles. Therefore, the invention by Henry Ford in having mass production of automobiles should be hailed as it has had serious effect on how human beings live and work especially in the fields of travel, transport and leisure. Works Cited Botelho, Greg. ‘The car that changed the world, August 12, 1908: First Model T comes together,’ CNN. Tuesday, August 10, 2004. Web. 31 March 2012: Cabadas, Joseph. 40 Ford: Evolution, Design, Racing, Hot Rodding. Minneapolis: MBI Pub, 2011. Print. Calthorpe, Peter. Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2010. Internet resource. Domansky, Leon R. Automobile Industry: Current Issues. New York: Novinka Books, 2006. Print. Flink, James J. The Automobile Age. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1988. Print. Schäfer, Andreas. Transportation in a Climate-Constrained World. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2009. Internet resource. Sinclair, Julie L. The Automobile. Mankato, Minn: Capstone Press, 2004. Print. Windelspecht, Michael. Groundbreaking Scientific Experiments, Inventions, and Discoveries of the 17th Century. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2002. Print.. Read More