In internal combustion engines, which term refers to the movement of the piston from one end of the cylinder to the other?

In internal combustion engines, which term refers to the movement of the piston from one end of the cylinder to the other?

• A. Stroke
• B. Compression stroke
• C. Power stroke
• D. Exhaust stroke

Answer: (A)

The movement of the piston from one end of the cylinder to the other is called a stroke. In a four-stroke engine, the cycle includes four distinct strokes—intake, compression, power, and exhaust—but the general term for the piston’s travel from one end to the other is simply a stroke. The named strokes describe specific portions of that travel with different functions (taking in air-fuel, compressing it, using the explosion to push the piston, and expelling the exhaust), while the stroke describes the overall back-and-forth movement.

The movement of the piston from one end of the cylinder to the other is called a stroke. In a four-stroke engine, the cycle includes four distinct strokes—intake, compression, power, and exhaust—but the general term for the piston’s travel from one end to the other is simply a stroke. The named strokes describe specific portions of that travel with different functions (taking in air-fuel, compressing it, using the explosion to push the piston, and expelling the exhaust), while the stroke describes the overall back-and-forth movement.