piston and cylinder: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Close-up view of a cutaway automobile engine showing metal pistons moving within their cylinders, with visible valves and springs above.

compressed air and decompressed air

Diagram of a gasoline engine showing a cross-section of a piston and cylinder. Key parts such as the spark plug, valves, camshaft, piston, connecting rod, and crankshaft are labeled.

Labeled cross-sectional diagram of a V-type gasoline engine for an automobile, showing internal components such as pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, intake and exhaust valves, connecting rods, spark plugs, and intake manifold.

See All Images →

Topics

clearance stroke piston cylinder piston ring bore energy conversion nuclear reactor turbine fusion reactor cooling system injector supercharger electric motor battery electric generator pump

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

gasoline engine: Piston-and-cylinder engines